Raine
by therealme1123
Summary: Max can't stand the fact that the adventure is over, and leaves the Flock. They try to get her back, and fail. A year later... well, the whole thing turns into a dramatic, twisted songfic gone wild. And with some deadly consequences. Ending is up!
1. Bye Bye Miss American Pie

**A/N:** Hey! This is going to be very different from all the others. How? I'm writing an album's worth of songs to go with it. None of them come up yet, but I'm letting you know. I really want your opinions about this, especially the lyrics. If they sound stupid, TELL ME!!! I don't want stupid lyrics on the web! Also, this is a little notice about the movement anonymouse13 and I started! For details check our profiles, which should have a pretty up to date mention of what we're for, who's in it with us, etc. I also want to thank anonymouse13, aviator301, meepisms, and SilverScreech for constantly reviewing my work. I owe a lot to you guys!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Maximum Ride. If I did, Jeb would not be her dad. Thank you.

Max's POV:

Sometimes you run just to see if anyone will follow. But that was only part of the reason I ran. I was scared, so scared of all the "what ifs?"; so sick and tired of all the whining, and so fed up with not being able to catch a break. And I wanted to see if any of them would notice if I was gone.

I didn't bother leaving a note to Fang, and I didn't make a sound louder then that of the storm raging outside as I headed for the door, opening it to feel the cool wind pressing against my face. It felt refreshing, freeing even, not to be tied down to all my responsibilities. They were pretty much over anyway. I had saved the world, after all.

I wasn't going to fly in this weather; I'm not stupid. So I waited outside for a couple minutes and got into a cab, heading for the airport. I needed to leave the continent if I didn't want them to find me right away, because Angel's powers are getting stronger.

She makes me proud, they all do, but that's not a good enough reason to stay. Not anymore. I looked back only once, as the cab drove away, memorizing the horror-stricken face on the man I had spent so much of my time with these past years. I got out the iPod that Angel had gotten me for Christmas last year and played with the keys a bit, indecisive at first about what music to play. I finally decided on some sad music to complement the weather, and I watched the city streets pass by on the way to JFK international airport.

Fang's POV:

I thought I heard something, and awoke immediately from my dream. It was a good dream for once, and I was definitely upset at having to leave it in such a manner. It was about Max. She'd left, and… That brought me to my senses. Where is she? I hurriedly got dressed to see if she was talking to one of the others or just taking a breather or something. I hoped that was all it was. I pulled on my black hoodie hastily as a final touch, so you couldn't see my wings and burst out the door, searching for any signs of where she was.

Then I looked down on the street below the motel. Max was getting into a yellow cab, and once she was in it, she looked back, where she saw me. She just looked at me, almost as if she was looking through me. She was leaving, and she didn't look sad or anything! I'm supposed to be the emotionless one! If there was ever a better torture to watch the person you love drive into the horizon, I'd like to see it.

I ran back into the hotel room, looking for anything she might have left. She didn't. Not one thing of hers looked like it had ever graced being inside this motel. No note either. I woke up the others and asked Angel if she could read Max's thoughts without letting Max catch on that it was happening. She did it and looked at me with the most sorrowful expression that had ever played across her cute little face. " She's gone. She's leaving the country, so we can't find her. She keeps picturing your face. And she's almost at JFK… whatever that is."

" It's an airport, Ange. Anybody got anything of hers?"

They all chorused a "no". Damn. Nudge won't be able to track her, so this was going to be a lot harder than I thought. "Ig, watch the kids. I'm going after her. "

I made it to the airport at 8:50 that morning. I remember because I asked the ticket desk if they someone that looked like Max that had paid for one out-of-country one-way ticket with a credit card. They said that the plane that she bought the ticket for left at 8:50. But I knew which continent she was on. Europe.

I used a pay phone to call Iggy but Angel already knew. I was gong after her alone. All the way. They didn't need to get lost on some God forsaken strip of land halfway across the globe. I told them to stay at the Martinez's and not to cause trouble. "Wait, hold on a sec… Go to the "E" house first. Get something from Max's room there and email me if Nudge can get anything off it. Got that?"

I finished the conversation and got a ticket for England. These European countries are all pretty small and close together, right?


	2. Diane Sawyer reporting

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not thrilled with the hit to review ratio here. So I'm not posting again until I get at least 5 reviews. And I mean that. Besides, the review button doesn't bite, and since you've taken the time to read the story, hopefully, you can just give up another 60 seconds or less to spitting out your thoughts on it. It's not hard. Sadly, no blood and gore. Instead we have emotional turmoil. Take it or leave it.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or you'd have to buy what I write.

Max's POV:

I'm starting up a pretty good life so far. I'm a waitress in France, and although the pay isn't that great, the dollar is still pretty comparable to the Euro, so I got a nice apartment with a view of the French Alps. Oh, gods. I feel like someone just tried to make contact with me. Angel, I thought, don't you dare try to talk to me. I don't like you invading my brain. But no, it wasn't a thought, it was a feeling that she was taking. She being Nudge. Damn. I shut my eyes so she couldn't see anything and started imagining a green pasture in Canada, filled with daisies and dandelions and periwinkles. The feeling passed and I went to the sink in my apartment for some water to make coffee with.

Work was bearable. Nothing really happened, but I met up with some Americans today. It wasn't the first tourists I'd seen in the five months I've been here, but there weren't that many that were from America. Most Americans want to go to Paris, and, although Paris is a very nice city, I can tell you that the Alps are much better.

But that really isn't the point. These people I met up with asked for me at the restaurant, because I'm the only waitress fluent in American English, and then they invited me to grab a drink with them after work. It turns out they're musicians living in NYC, and I thought it was kind of ironic that we were in a French karaoke bar. Most people know a lot of English, so most of the music we heard was sung in English, but it was definitely French. All the news clippings that lined the walls of the bar were from French newspapers… "And now we'd like to have our very own MR come up to the stage!"

So Adon found me, eh? I walked up to the stage and sang one of my regular numbers, grabbing the guitar left near the edge for me. I sang here often when I needed extra dough. After buying the apartment the Max Ride card kind of ran out of cash. At least they don't know who I really am. They think my name is Maxine Raine Duchamp. So they call me MR. If they knew who I was… well… things would be different.

The people I came with looked stunned that I could sing as well as I do, and they immediately asked if I'd join them and come back to New York. I said that I'd join if we didn't have to go there right away, I had some stuff I left behind and really didn't feel up to going back yet, but that they could crash at my apartment and we could use the recording equipment there. I didn't tell you there's recording equipment? Well, there is now.

We formed a group, the five of us, and we decided on the name Raine. I told them about my real name and my real past, but I made sure that they would never spill the beans on me. I don't want them finding me now that I know they never flew after me. It'd be a blow, you know? Actually, you probably don't, and it's better that way. So here we are, Jack Nelson, Faye Baker, Mia Bertani, Wash (That's just a nickname!), and MR, although I'm still going by Maxine Duchamp in public.

When we did go back to New York, it was only to take it by storm.( Get it? Never mind. I've never been that good with actual jokes… I made one up about noses once and nobody got it! That was embarrassing! Moving on…)We had several new songs, and came back to find a producer, and an agent to get the gigs for us. I plan on letting the album out on the day that I left the Flock, kind of to get closure, and also, if they still cared, they won't notice as much. But that didn't work out so well. Our agent, Graham, decided to let some of the singles out to the radio to increase business, so that plan went down the tube. They are going to notice. Soon enough I was attacked by paparazzi and news people.

I decided right then and there that I didn't like my picture being taken that much, and so I talked to the people. " Guys. HEY! Can you stop throwing questions at me for a second so I can talk to all of you? Thanks. I'd like to let you know that I don't exactly like to get photographed, and I'm a little claustrophobic… so if you could give me a little room right now that'd be great… thanks. Okay, I want to make a deal with you. You guys can call me on the phone and set up interviews if you want, you can take a couple of photos, I don't mind. But being bombarded like this is absolutely ridiculous. I honestly don't see how people like the lime light. I'm here because it's my job. It's not my job to be famous, it's not my job to have my picture taken, and it's not my job to be on all the gossip magazines. You want to honestly talk to me about what I do, fine. I'd love to. But my private life is private, and I'd like to keep it that way."

They stared at me like I was loony for a minute and the rest of the band came to my rescue, deciding to head to a restaurant to grab some grub. The guys thought I just killed our career with that cocky move, and the girls thought I was the best celeb ever, now, seeing I got most of the attention for being the singer, but what really surprised me was what Graham said. "You do that again, and I'm dropping you. Because just doing it once was enough… If you guys can keep your image tight and no holes for them to get into, you are going to be the biggest rock band of the decade!"

Wow. I wasn't out here looking for superstardom, but it looks like it just found me. In fact, I can remember a lot of times where things just find me. Irks me to no end. The next couple months went by in a blur and finally our album, Catching Fallen Stars, made its debut. I can't remember a time when I was so excited! Happiness seems to be catching up to me, for once.

Then came the interviews. Diane Sawyer, of all people, wanted to interview me! I was so excited and nervous, all at the same time. I dressed in my usual costume, a green and black ensemble, and washed my hair, leaving it time to curl nicely before heading to where we're supposed to hold the interview. " Hi," she said in a nice and comforting tone that more than liking, I instantly respected.

" Good morning."

" I'm glad you could make it."

" So am I. It's nice being here."

" Well, that's good. Now I've heard that you said a couple months before the release of 'Catching Falling Stars' that you didn't want to have news people hounding you. Isn't doing this interview against that?"

" Not at all. I said that being bombarded the way that I was was ridiculous, and I hold on to that belief, but as far as I know, this will mostly be about my work. Am I right?"

" Pretty much. But most everyone would like to know some things about you. Is that okay?"

" Sure. But if they start to stalk me, " I said jokingly, " I'm blaming you."

" Okay, so what is your name exactly? You keep going by MR. How did you get that?"

"Well, my name is Maxine Raine Duchamp. I have other names, that I know people know me by, but I'm not naming them. I've got enough publicity. That's how I get called MR. They're the first two initials of my name. And I got the name by giving it to myself."

"Didn't your family give you a name?"

" What family? My parents died, and I lived in an orphanage for ten years. Awful place, really. They didn't give me a name. I was just called Max. Got adopted with 5 other kids, and our guardian let me pick my own name on my eleventh birthday. I got the orphanage shut down a little over a year ago, and it was pretty tough, I almost slipped up a couple of times."

" So what happened to the others that got adopted with you? And what happened to your guardian? "

" He, my guardian, died. We were supposed to go back to the orphanage, but we ran off, preferring a living hell compared to that forsaken place, and then after four years they found us, so we shut it down. I don't know where the others are. I left about a year ago."

" Do you miss them?"

" Loads. They were definitely my best friends. They'd be anyone's best friends, honestly. Especially the youngest one. She was like an Angel. . And her real brother. He was my little trooper when things got tough. And sometimes I wonder about where they went, but I won't let it take over my life, and I've really got too much to do to go out looking for them. Besides, we didn't leave on the best of terms. I couldn't handle the thought of living a normal life after all the adventure, so I went out to find some, and ended up here!"

" So how do you feel about being a 15 year old rock star? Even though I must say, you look so much older than that."

"It's fun. I love singing, and it almost makes me jump up and down when we get fan mail. And believe me, I never do that, ever. And I mean who doesn't love getting something that says 'Hey you're awesome, are you going on tour soon?' or ' You are so pretty' or even some of the odd or not-so-nice letters really make my day, just because it's feedback. And I love the feeling of interacting with people."

" How did your group get started?"

" Well, after I had split from my adoptive siblings I went to France and became a waitress. While I was working there, tourists would sometimes ask for the one who speaks American English, which, of course, meant me. One day it just so happened to be Jack, Faye, Mia, and Wash. They asked me to go with them to a karaoke bar, which I sang at a lot anyway, for extra dough, and when they heard me they decided that I absolutely had to come back with them to NYC. I said, no, I don't want to go back there just yet, but I'll sing. So we stayed up in France for a while, writing songs and came back to America to produce the album, seeing as we're all born and raised here."

" So how did you pick the name Raine?"

"Well, besides it being my middle name, it was a rainy day, and we were kind of bored, trying to think up a name, and we wanted to have some name having to do with the sky, just about everything definitive about us has happened because of the sky. And finally Jack is like, 'How about we use and anagram?' I said 'Okay, what'll we use for it?' Mia suggested using our middle names, and Wash figured it out. Raine stands for Raine, Andrew, Ingrid, Norton, and Ellen."

" Is it awkward that your band mates are so much older than you?"

" No. It's more like their my older siblings or something. Besides the fact that they're awesome, I've been around people a lot older than me for most of my life. Public schooling at the orphanage had me up several grades. So it's cool."

"Are you going to go on tour in the near future?"

" Probably. It seems like the natural next step."

" What was your inspiration for 'Catching Falling Stars'?"

"After the big things in my life, I kind of fell apart. It was the process of the struggle that held me together. So most of the songs are about picking up the pieces and starting over. Mia wrote 'Raine', though. She said, 'You don't get to write songs about your life, you'll just screw it up with your feelings that cloud the situation. So I'm writing it for you.' Then Jack wrote 'Fireflies', and Faye wrote 'Summer Skye'. Wash wrote the first one on the album, 'Give It Up and Go On'. He didn't like the fact that we were staying in the Alps so long."

I laughed. It felt good to laugh. It made me feel… human, alive, and hopeful. "So which one is your favorite?"

" Oh, I hoped you wouldn't ask me this one! It's too hard to choose… but I think I'll have to go with 'Raine', and 'Phoenix in the Ashes'. They fit so closely with my life for the past year. I mean, if I just bought the album, instead of writing it and singing it with everyone else, I'd probably just end up with the whole thing on my iPod. But that's just me."

"And it seems to be that everyone else feels the same way about the album. It's already platinum in the United States, and Europe's not far behind in sales."

" You're joking."

" No, not really."

" That's awesome! I had no idea people were going to react to the album the way that they did. You guys are awesome people out there, you hear me? I ought to call Jack to let everyone know."

Just then Jack, and the others walked up. " We're the ones that told her," he said grabbing a chair.

The others followed suit. Then Faye added, " We wanted to get your face on camera, because we thought you were just plain going to freak out! But no, You have to be the invincible…"

" Don't say it. Not on camera, " I said, flaking my finger towards her like I was shaving a carrot.

Mia tried to go on about it. " Fine I'll say it! Her real name is…"

I clamped a hand on her mouth before she could finish. When I pulled my hand away, she said, "What? You can't hide forever, MR."

I feigned disappointment. "I think I'm disowning you now. So it's a good thing I'm wearing these sunglasses, or I'd have to be seen with you."

" It's a good thing I know you're joking."

I made a huge, cheesy, childish grin. " I know, and that's why you love me."

The interview only went on for a few minutes longer, asking the others opinions to some of my answers, seeing if they wanted to add anything. And they did. That was the problem. I kept having to go 'BLEEP' whenever they decided to try and say my name. It was pretty funny really.

The next day at breakfast, I saw all of us on the cover of People. PEOPLE! For crying out loud! I'm going to faint, I really am. Get a grip, Maximum! You are the invincible Maximum Ride. Act like it.

I went into damage control mode and looked up the blog Fang started so long ago. Yup, I knew it. He's a fan. He'd said that he really wanted to know who this person really is and if she's Max. I wrote into him as Graham, saying that 'the MR from the band is not Maximum, the initials are just a coincidence.' He wrote back asking how I knew, and to tell that MR that he likes her song writing. Woo-hoo! If I ever see Fang again I'm going to give him hell for that one.

" Dear Mr. Fang,

I am the manager for Raine. I passed along your message. And her name is Maxine Duchamp. If you want any more information, here's the band's webpage, and nothing can stop you from watching the View."

That ought to grate on his nerves enough until I can try to humiliate him in person.

We kept on recording, trying out new songs, and then finally we decided to tour America and parts of Europe. We're starting in New York, the place where it all really began, and working our way west, then hopping over to England to start the European tour. I feel this rush like something important is going to happen because of this, but I brush it away.

I felt this wave of pain as my thoughts again drifted to the Flock. I missed them a lot. Why did I have to be so stupid as to leave? Oh. Now I remember. Maybe I shouldn't try to go back. Well, I can read what he put up on his blog about me when I left.

I opened my laptop again and loaded Fang's blog. Going to the archive, I looked up the date I left. Here it is. "Has anyone seen a blonde at JFK airport before 8:50 in the morning? That's right. Max is missing. I woke up to the sound of a cab driving off in the storm. She's gone. Angel tracked her to JFK international. And I know she's in France, seeing that I talked to the people at the ticket desk, but I need to find her. Max, If you're reading this, come back. Or at least tell me why you left. I thought we'd had a handle on things. And to those of you who seem to like Max, don't you dare touch her. She's probably really vulnerable right now, and if you hurt her I will kill you. And that's a promise."

Then the next one made me want to rip my heart out and cry: " Okay, I'm in France, and I still have no idea where she is. Did anyone know that France is as big as it is? I mean, it's freaking huge, especially compared to me. Hey, Gazzy, Iggy, quit with trying to take the computer… you're going to break it… Hey, it's me the Gasman! I know I'm not your favorite, but bear with me. MAX! If you're out there and reading this I HATE YOUR GUTS!!!! You suck for leaving. And even Ig and Angel agree with me."

I almost started to cry, but Faye walked up behind me. " Whatcha doing…Oh. I'm sorry."

" Not as much as I am, Faye. Not nearly the amount that I am."


	3. The New Flock

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not posting again until I get at least 15 total reviews. And I mean that. Besides, the review button doesn't bite, and since you've taken the time to read the story, hopefully, you can just give up another 60 seconds or less to spitting out your thoughts on it. It's not hard.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $11. 50. Go ahead, I dare you.

Gazzy's POV A/N: This is a new one guys! Run! 

I really loved the album Catching Fallen Stars. It perfectly described how each one of us picked up our lives after Max left. I heard the songs on the radio, and loved them, whoever sang them has one of the best voices, and as soon as the album came out, I bought it with some birthday money Max had stashed in my backpack. Yeah, my birthday was a couple weeks early, but she just couldn't wait till then to give me my present. Now I knew why.

When I heard the lead singer for Raine was on TV in an interview with Diane Sawyer, I jumped down all the stairs and raced to the television, bumping everyone but Iggy off the couch in the process. I changed the channel immediately, and saw that they just started the interview. Thank the people upstairs that I didn't miss any of it!

Her voice sounded beautiful, comforting, and familiar, like I'd heard it all my life. It almost sounded like Max's, even though I knew that I never wanted to hear that voice again. I'd had to suffer, they'd had to suffer, just because she'd up and left. Now, she was who knows where. Uh-oh. I think I missed something important. " Do you miss them?"

" Loads. They were definitely my best friends. They'd be anyone's best friends, honestly. Especially the youngest one. She was like an Angel. And her real brother. He was my little trooper when things got tough."

Max always called me her little trooper. Weird! "And sometimes I wonder about where they went, but I won't let it take over my life, and I've really got too much to do to go out looking for them. Besides, we didn't leave on the best of terms. I couldn't handle the thought of living a normal life after all the adventure, so I went out to find some, and ended up here!"

" So how do you feel about being a 15 year old rock star? Even though I must say, you look so much older than that."

Max should be about 15 now, seeing that's she's been gone for a year. "It's fun. I love singing, and it almost makes me jump up and down when we get fan mail. And believe me, I never do that, ever. And I mean who doesn't love getting something that says 'Hey you're awesome, are you going on tour soon?' or ' You are so pretty' or even some of the odd or not-so-nice letters really make my day, just because it's feedback. And I love the feeling of interacting with people."

" How did your group get started?"

" Well, after I had split from my adoptive siblings I went to France and became a waitress."

Wait, didn't Fang say Max had gone to France? "While I was working there, tourists would sometimes ask for the one who speaks American English, which, of course, meant me. One day it just so happened to be Jack, Faye, Mia, and Wash. They asked me to go with them to a karaoke bar, which I sang at a lot anyway for extra dough, and when they heard me they decided that I absolutely had to come back with them to NYC. I said, 'no, I don't want to go back there just yet, but I'll sing'. So we stayed up in France for a while, writing songs and came back to America to produce the album, seeing as we're all born and raised here."

" So how did you pick the name Raine?"

"Well, besides it being my middle name, it was a rainy day, and we were kind of bored, trying to think up a name, and we wanted to have some name having to do with the sky, just about everything definitive about us has happened because of the sky. And finally Jack is like, 'How about we use an anagram?' I said 'Okay, what'll we use for it?' Mia suggested using our middle names, and Wash figured it out. Raine stands for Raine, Andrew, Ingrid, Norton, and Ellen."

Sky. Funny. Wait, no. Beyond creepy. " Fang, come watch this."

The TV continued to blare." Is it awkward that your band mates are so much older than you?"

" No. It's more like their my older siblings or something. Besides the fact that they're awesome, I've been around people a lot older than me for most of my life. Public schooling at the orphanage had me up several grades. So it's cool."

"Are you going to go on tour in the near future?"

" Probably. It seems like the natural next step."

" What was your inspiration for 'Catching Falling Stars'?"

"After the big things in my life, I kind of fell apart. It was the process of the struggle that held me together. So most of the songs are about picking up the pieces and starting over."

That just describes how I feel about the album. Is she a mind reader? No, that's gotta be Max, I know it. But I'm confused. Should I be excited, or hate her for what she's done to everyone else? But the interview continued, "Mia wrote 'Raine', though. She said, 'You don't get to write songs about your life, you'll just screw it up with your feelings that cloud the situation. So I'm writing it for you.' Then Jack wrote 'Fireflies', and Faye wrote 'Summer Skye'. Wash wrote the first one on the album, 'Give It Up and Go On'. He didn't like the fact that we were staying in the Alps so long."

"So which one is your favorite?"

" Oh, I hoped you wouldn't ask me this one! It's too hard to choose… but I think I'll have to go with 'Raine', and 'Phoenix in the Ashes'. They fit so closely with my life for the past year. I mean, if I just bought the album, instead of writing it and singing it with everyone else, I'd probably just end up with the whole thing on my iPod. But that's just me."

That's exactly what I did. The album just plays over and over on my iPod. "And it seems to be that everyone else feels the same way about the album. It's already platinum in the United States, and Europe's not far behind in sales."

" You're joking."

" No, not really."

" That's awesome! I had no idea people were going to react to the album the way that they did. You guys are awesome people out there, you hear me? I ought to call Jack to let everyone know."

Just then, Jack and the others walked up. " We're the ones that told her," he said grabbing a chair.

The others followed suit. Then Faye added, " We wanted to get your face on camera, because we thought you were just plain going to freak out! But no, You have to be the invincible…"

" Don't say it. Not on camera, " she said, flaking her finger towards her like I was shaving a carrot.

Why didn't she want other people to know who she is? I mean, especially if she isn't Max. I mean, how could that be Max? Mia tried to go on about the subject. "Fine I'll say it! Her real name is…"

MR clamped a hand on her mouth before she could finish. When she pulled her hand away, she said, "What? You can't hide forever, MR."

She feigned disappointment. "I think I'm disowning you now. So it's a good thing I'm wearing these sunglasses, or I'd have to be seen with you."

" It's a good thing I know you're joking."

Then MR made a huge, cheesy, childish grin. " I know, and that's why you love me."

I turned to Fang, to see his reaction. He'd dropped the mask a long time ago, because he'd lost everything that helped keep it up. He's been such a mess that he can't even control those emotions he used to have such a handle on, but he does his best, and that's something. He looked at the screen in terror, then went over to his laptop and began to type.

I looked around the room, seeing the faded, massacred forms of my very best friends. Iggy and I had stopped making bombs along time ago, and the lopsided grin he used to wear faded and folded into the everlasting frown. He'd stopped joking around, right when the rest of us needed it most. But it wasn't in him anymore if he had no one's sarcasm to mock.

Angel's almost given up prying into minds, but I honestly think my little sister has lost it. She keeps walking up to people asking them if they've seen Max. Sometimes, I'll here her talking to herself, although it sounds like she's addressing Max. Nudge says about one word a day. And that word is either "quiet" or "food".

I looked again at Fang. He'd been hit the hardest. He was the one who was in love with her. He became so filled with emotion that it overflowed sometimes. At first he was emotionless. But it's like a whole city took their water behind the Hoover Dam and turned their hoses on. The dam broke soon afterwards, and Fang never got enough of a grip, being leader and all, to put it back up.

After Fang was finished with the computer I searched for their website and I called up the tour dates. They didn't have any yet, so I thought I might post something on the blog. I found that there were already responses to the post Fang did.

The nest day, I was about to post after checking the responses, but I found one that truly shocked me.

'the MR from the band is not Maximum, the initials are just a coincidence.'

And it was signed by the name Graham. I typed " How do you know? Are you part of the band, or her? Really? I'd like to know." The fact that she wasn't Max piqued my curiosity. Then I added that if the person saw her to tell her that she writes good songs. I posted that I really like Raine and that people should look up their album, because it's awesome, and that the lead singer is a very good singer, even though she does have the same initials as the Devil Incarnate. I almost feel scared of myself, wanting so badly to make Max hurt in the same physical, mental and emotional ways that we have for the last year.

The next couple of months ran super slowly, but they gathered speed when I found out that Raine was actually doing a tour. I talked Angel and Nudge into getting the others into going to the concert when it comes through Chicago. I can't wait! It's only about a week in a half before I can hear the sweet music that has helped me cope so well played onstage, and I might just be able to get to talk to the people who wrote it.


	4. Concert Time

**A/N:** Hey, this is the new-and-improved chapter 4! What's different? I got fed up looking at those stupid lyrics to "Supergirl". They were bad compared to what I feel I can accomplish, and the tune was more like noise than music. So it's been changed! Yay! I hope you like this one better. And Blood and Gore! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $23. 50. Go ahead, pay me, I dare you. I could use the money, too. Plus, now it comes with the CD (a $14.99 value)! (This is, mostly, a joke! All but the " I don't own Max Ride." bit is sarcasm. I don't mean for you guys to actually buy this.)

Max's POV

Concert Time! I was very nervous for some reason. We were in Chicago, so it's not like this was the first time I was onstage or anything. But something felt different. We were greeted by the thousands of fans that were seated in United Center. And then I saw them. My heart skipped a beat. I couldn't perform. Not here; not in front of them. I had to get out of here. But how, it seemed like the best choices was either to tank my career or to duke it out with my inner demons. And since my career is what keeps food in my stomach, I'll go with the latter, I guess.

But I saw their faces. Angel looked somewhere between deranged and just plain nuts with a heaping load of sad sprinkled on top. Gazzy looked excited, but I could see pain in those eyes. He's still my little trooper. Nudge looked excited, too, but her energy wasn't there. Iggy looked lost. I bet he couldn't find his way around here well. Fang actually had emotions on his face. He was downcast, and looked like he'd feel better if an elephant trampled him. But it really surprised me that he had emotion. " Hello, everybody! You ready to rock?"

" Yeah!"

Gazzy's face lit up and I felt a little pang of happiness in that. Maybe I could go back to them; maybe they'd let me. " I can't hear you!"

" Yeah!"

Mia started to speak. "Alright! We're gonna start off with Supergirl, my personal favorite."

Jack began counting off and I stood there waiting to belt out the lyrics:

"8 o' clock comes

and the skies look bleaker than black

I can only run

Cause hiding's way out of the question

Oh, it's on

I'm going for a change in direction

I'm gone

Don't even wanna see my reflection

Things go from bad to worse

I can't save your little universe

Don't start, I won't even try

I'll get up, I'm gone, I'll fly

Supergirl runs

From the torturous humans again

Go ahead, shun

What ain't understood today

Wait till tomorrow comes

And you feel the pain anyway

Things go from bad to worse

I can't save your little universe

Be mad, it's fine with me

I can't see you anyway

Another day goes

Right out the window

And it shows

The destruction, I know

It's my fault

I'm supposed to halt

The rebirth

Of the death that consumes us

-Bridge w/ guitar solo-

Things go from bad to worse

I can't save your damn universe

Shut up, Don't even try

Supergirl's gotta say goodbye

Things go from bad to worse

I can't save your damn universe

Shut up, Don't even try

Supergirl's gotta say goodbye

Sorry, I'm not your supergirl"

The crowd cheered and again I looked towards my guys. Gazzy was on the edge of his seat, looking like he was so happy he was about to wet his pants. Angel and Nudge were grinning, with more enthusiasm than I thought they could manage to contain. Iggy was smiling, obviously liking how everyone else shut up when the music started. Fang looked.. I don't know… confused, maybe? Oh, well. " Hey, guess what song's next?"

Faye took that queue." What?"

Wash started to answer for me. "It's…"

"Dreaming…

Dreaming of a past I cannot change

Dreaming of a face I cannot hide from

I am dreaming for the light has gone away

I am dreaming

Falling leaves fly by me

And I wish you're here beside me

But I can't help feel the wonder or excitement

So when it rains it pours

And my heart it tries to soar

But it cannot fly without the life I find within the dream

Wishing for a better yesterday

I'm hoping for a just-as-good tomorrow

I am dreaming away all the pain and sorrow of today

Wake up Max you're dreaming

So you cannot see the light

Stop it Max you're screaming

And I can't but feel the fright

Dreaming…(wake up)

I am dreaming… (Stop, you're screaming)

Dreaming… (Scream)

-Jack- Wake up!

I've lost myself now to this dream

And I can't wake up despite their screams

But against this dream I now see that I'm fighting

So the light I could see in your eyes

Now turns back to blackness I despise

And the dream I used to wish for now is fading

Wishing for a better yesterday

I'm hoping for a just-as-good tomorrow

I am dreaming away the pain and sorrow of today

(Softer) And I'm dreaming away the pain and sorrow of today

That last tremor of sound was the last thing I heard before hearing the deafening roar of the crowds. People really like our stuff, huh? I keep looking at the Flock periodically, checking for their approval of my work. It makes me feel good that I can make them smile. I mean, after hurting them so much, as I guess I have, I feel like I can get a second chance. But I'm not going to push my luck. I'm still wearing the sunglasses, etc. Just in case.

We played the rest of our songs from the album and then got ready to visit with the audience. I looked over at the rest of them getting themselves for meeting the fans. I guess it's never really been a problem for me. Faye, the tough yet sympathetic tomboy is freaking out in front of a mirror. Our bass guitarist thinks that if she can see herself freaking out like a fan girl that she can empathize and therefore handle fan girls running up to her. Jack, the oldest, is talking to himself while jumping up and down. The 23 year-old drummer is the decision maker, but he's such a softie that it's not a surprise he lets me make a lot of the smaller decisions. " So long as you don't drive Wash crazy," he says.

Wash is to his right, talking to his sisters on the phone, talking about them coming to the next concert and making plans to see them. Our very tough and easily bored guitarist had a falling out with his mom when he was 17, but his sisters are still in school, here in Chicago, so he doesn't get to see him much.

And Mia, or chocolate obsessed girly girl, is plucking things out on her guitar and whispering to herself. She's got brothers in LA and she's whispering little prayers that she'll get to see her oldest brother, Random, before he gets the results of his biopsy. She's whispering that it's not their greatest fear, leukemia.

While they're all going nuts getting ready, I'm looking at them and thinking about what I can expect. It's our signature thing to go out into the lobby after performances and sign autographs and stuff. Plus it's fun to hear what people think about us, and to hear their stories.

So it wasn't one bit of a surprise when the Flock showed up. I got this look in my eyes, which of course Faye had to see. Faye's always been the most empathetic about what's happened. "MR, how about you go take a break?"

" Sure, Faye. I'll be back in about a minute."

But the Gasman chased me down. " Hey, you're MR, right?"

" Yeah, kid. I'm sorry but I'm kinda busy at the moment. We're all human when it comes to Nature calling, you know? If you've got any questions or something, I'd talk to the others right now, because all I can concentrate on is getting back stage."

" Well, I really wanted to talk to you. Can I wait?"

I looked at him. He was so much taller than when I left him, and he looked so happy to be talking to me. I wanted to cry and hug him so badly. "Sure, kid. What's your name?"

"Umm… Grant."

I gave him a smirk. " Uh-huh. Okay, umm… Grant, follow me. We're going backstage."

Gazzy's face lit up. I led him behind the stage and got to the dressing room with the bathroom. I really did have to go. Graham asked me what I was doing, and I told him to feed Gazzy, adding quietly that it was to be nothing that produces gas. I went in, used the pot, came back, and found him sitting there waiting happily. He must really be a fan. " Hey, Grant. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

" Why don't you want to be found? I heard that you left some people behind in New York, but if I were them I'd totally want to see you."

" Well, my family has a blog. And they posted a few times that they never want to see me again, and that they hate my guts. Besides, you don't know exactly what happened, and it's pretty inexcusable on my part."

He looked incredulously at me. " Why do you wear the sunglasses?"

" I don't want to be recognized. If I was, well… I honestly don't know what would happen, but I doubt it would be good. I'd be getting a lot of people on my tail. So my anonymity is a definite relief. I couldn't take them off in the public."

" What was the inspiration for 'Dreaming'? It's my favorite."

" It's what really happened to me when I first left. I got dragged into this other place, and it wasn't pretty… Hey, aren't you here with people?"

Gazzy looked really sullen." Yeah. I probably ought to get back to them."

" Well, I was thinking that they'd feel left out if they didn't at least get an autograph."

He lighted up at the sound of that and led the way back to his family. " Hi."

Angel and Nudge came running up to Gaz and me. " Oh. My. God. It's MR!!!! We are SUCH big fans! Can we have your autograph?"

" You must be reading my mind."

Angel looked up at me angelically and Nudge looked at her with a suspicious look. Then Iggy and Fang walked up behind them , and Faye and Jack walked up behind me and started laughing. I had to keep a straight face, " Guys, cut it out!"

" The irony bell chimes in the tower, because the belfry is full of bats."

" Jack, what does that even mean?"

" I'm laughing at the irony…"

" Don't you even, guys. It was funny with Ms. Sawyer. But don't mess with that here."

The Flock looked stunned. I turned back to them." So, who wants an autograph?"

The kids and Iggy volunteered, and this made Jack burst out laughing again. I ignored him and started with Angel. " So what's your name?"

" Angel."

" Cute. What do you… no, I know exactly what to write."

I took out a piece of paper and a pencil, and drew a guilty looking smiley face with a halo. Then I wrote, " Much Love, Ange. MR."

" How do you know I'm called that?"

" Oh, what did I write?"

" Ange."

" I'm sorry! I totally forgot the 'l'. I'll write it in there if you want!"

" No. It's okay. I just haven't been called Ange in a while."

" Okay… So who's next?"

It turned out to be Gazzy's turn. I drew a small smiley looking out of a window and wrote 'Keep Dreaming. Much Love. MR." He smiled and readily accepted it. But I wasn't prepared for doing Nudge's. I only just remembered that she read things through inanimate objects, so I thought about how cute I thought they were and other dumb stuff that wouldn't incriminate me. I must have looked really nervous, because my band mates looked at me funny, but I finished and turned to them mouthing, " I'll explain later."

Iggy's was easy to write, and I even did it in Braille! I'm so cool like that, you know? It said, " Much love, Igster! MR."

I talked to all of them and I felt so awful about lying to their faces, but I also felt so happy that I could see that I had made them smile by doing so. So I'm torn. Do I say anything and watch as their faces fall back to what seems to be a habitual frown, or do I say what they want to hear, and see them happily smile back at me? Take one guess what I chose. Yup. I lied.

We finished talking and then they took off, and I wanted to break down right there. I told them the little part I left out about their powers, and Nudge's being identifying stuff through inanimate objects, and Mia, the sweet person she is, decided that she'd go home with me and keep me company while everyone else grabbed some grub. I got home and immediately went to the area of the suite we put all the recording equipment in. I just needed to vent and so Mia and I decided to play it out of our systems. So we sang "Glitter", the one song we have as a duet.

(MR)I look upon the fast paced drones

Filed in lines

Awaiting their instructions

I'm all dressed up and

Look at me

I'm like a butterfly

Come see

The freak show

Gliding down the stairs

I see the cameras flash

And people stash

Away their boredom

But to me it's like a full moon calling

Me away from all this falling

into what seems my biggest nightmare

( Both)I'm not the glitter on my face

I'm not what I see in this place

Give my jeans and take off this dress

I'm not pulling myself into this mess

I'm not the sparkle in your eye

If you think that I'd rather die

Than rough it out

I think you've got to figure out

What you see before your eyes

And see my sacrifice

To you

( Mia)I'm running from the dressed up guys

I'm tearing off what I despise

The dress goes there

The earrings here

Just take it all

I just don't care

But get me out of here

( Both)I'm not the glitter on my face

I'm not what I see in this place

Give my jeans and take off this dress

I'm not pulling myself into this mess

I'm not the sparkle in your eye

If you think that I'd rather die

Than rough it out

I think you've got to figure out

What you see before your eyes

And see my sacrifice

To you

( MR) I'd rather die than rough it out under the glittered mask

(Mia) and I'd hope that it is something that will never pass

(MR) Just give me my glass slipper and I'm gone

" You know Max, this is so much better than the copy at the studio. Do you think when we get back we should rerecord it?"

" No. then we'll get more money from concerts."

She laughed, and it sounded like tinkling bells. " I guess you're right… About what happened back there, do you want to talk about it?"

" Not really. I just flipped. I wanted to see them smile, but I also didn't want to lie. I just don't know what to do."

" I gotta say, you're one amazing person. And I'm one amazing cheater."

I looked up, shocked. " What in the world do you mean by that?"

" I snuck some backstage passes for tomorrow's performance to Fang. He was thrilled. They all seem to like the songs, Max. Why don't you try and reach out to them?"

" I think I might have an idea as to how to do that."


	5. It's all my fault

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not posting again until I get at least 38 total reviews. And I mean that. Besides, you've taken the time to read the story, so, hopefully, you can just give up another 60 seconds or less to spitting out your thoughts on it. It's not hard.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $11. 50. Go ahead, I dare you.

Max's POV

Mia and I got on to Fang's blog and typed up an e-mail, saying that it was me and I wanted to meet them, and that I was somewhere near Chicago. Do they want to meet up and talk? We sent it and got a reply the next morning. It was from Angel. She asked where I'd been and really wanted to meet up with me. I replied to it by asking how the others felt. She'd said they'd all be excited, and I told them to meet me out at the entrance to United Center after the Raine concert.

Gazzy's POV

I can't believe that Mia of Raine gave Fang backstage passes for me! For free, even! This is too cool. I watched as the band came on to the stage, and found their way to their equipment. MR started speaking to the audience. " Hey! How y'all doin' tonight? I want to dedicate this first song to one of my very best friends, yeah, you, the one with the back stage passes. You know who you are. And G! Thanks so much, for everything! You're an inspiration!"

Then she began to slowly sing the lyrics.

Let rain wash away my tears

Let it comfort all my fears

May it tell me that my love is far away

Let it tell me not to reach him

Should it tell me not to love him

Could it say

My love is not so far today

Looking out under the shelter

Of the car it seems to swelter

With the heat of the love within his eyes

He pleads me not to go

Never ever

Not to show

That I even had the thought that crossed my mind

Let rain drown my thoughts of sorrow

Let it tell me 'bout tomorrow

May rain cleanse me of my doubt

Of all my cares

Let it shout

That my problems are a part of yesterday

Flying off into the sunset

I am worried that I'll miss it

That the life I'm s'posed to lead

Is still right there back at Lake Mead

But just to me it's so far over

And I'm only growing older

So let the rain say that I'm living for today

Looking out under the shelter

Of the car it seems to swelter

With the heat of the love within his eyes

He begged me not to go

Never ever

Not to show

That I even had the thought that crossed my mind

Here I am so far away

Looking back on that sad day

Wond'ring if I'd ever see him again

I know just what I'd say

I think only of that day

We'd be soaked but we'd be happy in the rain

Let rain tell him of my love

Like the lonely loving dove

Tell him all the things I never got to say

Let it tell him 'bout tomorrow

Tell him not to live in sorrow

Tell him to stay 'cause I'm coming on my way

We'll be soaked but we'll be happy in the rain

The booming sound that resulted was more than I'd anticipated. I loved the song, but, man! I think it's going to take a few days for me to get my hearing back. Iggy looked pale-er, and I thought Angel was going to go into shock or something. The rest of the concert was pretty much like the last one, still totally awesome, but kinda predictable.

Then came the part I was going to love. Going backstage! I wanted to thank the band a lot for the passes, and I really wanted to see MR again. But when I got there, they said she had to wait for some people outside after the concert. Some of her family, or something like that. That's good for her; she deserves it. It was pretty fun hanging out with the other band members and watching them get ready for meeting the fans.

It was when I saw MR in her costume out at the entrance, alone, that I got really surprised. " Hey, Gasman."

" Huh?"

MR took off her sunglasses and I immediately recognized the amber eyes that had watched over me so many nights. " Still hate me?"

Angel ran up to her, crying and gasping for air. Max pushed away the stray locks of hair and ran her fingers along my sister's back, helping her to breathe and slow the sobs to little shudders. I looked at the rest of the Flock for a little reassurance that I wasn't starting to go down the path to insanity like Angel has. Iggy was confused, as no one had let him in on the little surprise that we'd encountered. Fang was trying really hard to keep the tears at bay. But they weren't just tears of sadness, they were tears of anger, and I agreed with him on that part. Nudge was crying silently, and she walked up to Max. " Oh my god, Max. Why'd you leave?"

I was surprised that Nudge had said so much at one time, and I felt glad to see that Max was tearing up. " I'm so sorry, guys. It was selfish, and I shouldn't have. But I'm really sorry."

" Selfish is right."

Max looked at me in shock. Yeah, that's right. I'm pissed off. " You didn't even have the guts to say goodbye. And now you're all, 'pity me cause I'm sorry'. WELL SORRY AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH, MAX! You've had loads of chances to come back, and you've had loads of chances to say you're sorry, and you've had every chance possible not to even leave in the first place. I can't really believe that you're sorry. I don't, not after all that I've seen the rest of them go through. Not after what I've gone through! I don't believe you anymore. So just go away."

I watched as she hurriedly put her glasses back on and told Fang and Iggy to take care of the Flock. Then she was gone, as if she had never been there. Good riddance. Now she can't hurt us anymore.

Fang didn't even make it to the car before tears made it to his eyes, blurring his vision enough to make it hard for him to drive. Which is how he hit into the semi. I don't remember much of what happened. This is all my fault. This is all my fault. Even as I was wheeled into the emergency room next to Fang and Nudge, that was all I could think. This is all my fault.


	6. Wake up

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not posting again until I get at least 40 total reviews. You've taken the time to read the story, so, hopefully, you can just give up another 60 seconds or less to spitting out your thoughts on it. It's not hard. Also, I'll probably be posting again on Crosshairs and Mariposa soon. Just for the people who like those stories. Thanks to the people who have reviewed, and thanks to everybody who's joined in the protest. Blood and Gore!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $11. 50. Go ahead, I dare you.

Nudge's POV

OUCH! I felt as one of the doctors poked a needle into my arm and missed the vein. I feel all tired and sleepy but I fight to stay awake. I have to be strong. But I still succumb to the medicine eventually.

I wake up in a semi-private room with Iggy sitting next to me. He's pretty shaken up, and I want to say something, but I don't know what might set these guys off anymore. I don't know what's safe to say. So I don't say much of anything. God, I'm becoming Fang! " What happened?"

" Gazzy's sleeping right now in the ICU. Just in case they find some more internal bleeding…"

He trailed off. " Where are the others?"

" I don't think it's a good idea… you've been under a lot of stress…"

" Iggy. Now."

Ig and an orderly helped wheel me to the floor where Fang and Angel are. I'm glad Iggy can't see. For one moment I'm glad, because it saves him from the tears that silently well in my eyes when I see the sign indicating that this is the coma wing. I wiped them away disgustedly. You need to be strong, Nudge. You need to be stronger than Max; you need to be stronger than Fang, and all the rest. You need to be strong, so you can't feel the pain. Strong, so you can handle the pressure. Strong, so you have the right to be called a part of the Flock.

In all reality, we're a grimy shadow of our shining former selves. All because Max left. But, I won't bore you with all the details. I don't feel much like talking.

Iggy wheeled me into Angel's room first. She looked dead. Her face was pale, her eyes were closed her breath slow and soft. Her heartbeat was almost non-existent, so faint that if the monitor didn't beep in recognition I wouldn't have thought she was in a coma at all.

I felt like I was in a morgue. It was clammy all the way through the wing, as if you could feel the formaldehyde floating towards their next victims. I looked at Angel again, still perfect in her appearance, but now literally what she had become in Max's absence. A shell. She lost whatever part of her mind that held her together, and her constant talking to herself made you doubt her sanity. Max was her mother for all intents and purposes, and it took all Angel had just to interact with people. Can I feel more pity towards one person?

I finally had enough with looking at the near dead Angel, and the orderly led us to Fang's room. Max was there, holding his pale hand, and stroking it with her thumb gently as she spoke to him. I cleared my throat loudly, and she got up, looking like a deer in the headlights. " I'm sorry for disturbing you. It won't happen again."

" Hold on a second, Max."

She looked at me with this hopefulness, and pain and this overwhelming sadness, and longing, so much of it filled her expression that I felt it seep into my soul. " Why did you leave?"

I filled it with the enmity I'd felt towards her for all this time. Fang had loved her desperately, to Iggy she was as much his eyes as I was, Gazzy took his strength from her. She was Angel's sanity, and she was my voice. She was what meant most to us, and she took all that with her when she left. For that I want to rip her guts out and leave them for the buzzards. But, just for the Flock, I'm going to hear her story first. " I… It was raining. I don't think I was firing on all cylinders. I freaked, I got scared, and angry, and frustrated, so I ran. I didn't want you guys to follow me. I thought you'd get along better without me. I just kind of… lost it. I'm so sorry, Nudge."

" Save it for Fang when he wakes up. He's the only one who wants to hear that crap."

Max's face turned cold with rage, and she started shaking with the urge to break something. Then she watched as Fang took a shuddering breath before she said one last thing on the matter. " I lost myself, Nudge. More than anything else that mattered to me, I'd lost myself. It was my sacrifice to you guys. To keep you safe, I gave up my needs, and my wants. I forgot who I was entirely. That's why I snapped. I couldn't take not feeling the happiness I wanted so desperately. I couldn't take feeling that every move I made was a mistake. That with everything I did, it wasn't enough. I thought you guys were strong enough to handle things for a while. It was selfish. Of course it was selfish. I needed to be selfish! I needed to care about myself! I needed a god damn soul, Nudge. Because I gave mine up. And now I'm losing Fang, too. So go on and tell me what you've lost. What? Your voice? Your happiness? What's Ig lost? His eyes, again? The Gasman's lost his strength, his tenacity, maybe? I know Angel's pretty much lost all sanity, but believe me, it can be regained. She's not lost to you all in the least. I've always taken the short end of the stick... It was a mistake to come here."

She got up to leave, but stopped herself and looked at me with tears in her eyes. "If, and when, Fang wakes up, don't tell him I came, okay?"

She was gone before I could even reply.

Max's POV

I'd been so stupid. I caused all of their pain and misery, and because of what? Searching for a nonexistent personality that I'd lost? Was it worth it? No. I'd lost all of them the day I'd walked out that door. That's that. I just need to move on. Now I gotta fly to St. Louis. Fun. It's not like it takes long at all, it just takes a while for me to find anything there. Except the Arch. That's pretty easy.

I was almost there when I… I don't know what to call it. There wasn't any mist, or vortex or anything. I just blinked and appeared in Fang's hospital room in a heap. Well, in my defense, I was still technically flying. "What the he-ck is going on? Why am I here? Oh my god."

I gaped at the abundance of plant life that covered the walls furniture of thee small, thankfully private room. I looked around and saw Nudge sitting next to Fang's still vegetative form. " What's going on?"

Nudge glared at me for a second and pulled me out of the room with her. "Yeah. Fang had to gain a new power in the middle of a hospital. I brought you here. I gained a new power a while back. And it looks like Fang got one, too. Nobody knows about it, and I want to keep it that way. I need some help getting the foliage out of here…"She broke into tears as she wheeled up and hugged me around the waist, burying her face in my stomach, " Just don't leave again, okay? You don't know what it did to us."

"Where's everybody else?"

Nudge sniffled against my T-shirt. " Angel's in a coma. They say that there's a pretty good chance that she'll come out of it during the night, though. Gazzy's spending the night in ICU, no visitors, Iggy's grabbing some food, and I'm here.

I walked back into the semi-private room, and laid my head down at Fang's feet. Karma's a bitch, ain't it? I stayed for about 4 hours in his room before I moved to Angel's, grabbing an extra pillow just incase I felt the need for shut-eye. She was so unnaturally pale that it scared me a bit. But I wanted to be there when she woke up. It wasn't an " if" to me. She is going to wake up. The pillow flew out of my grasp and flew around in a circle before landing on Angel's lap. " Angel?"

She didn't move, and after a couple minutes of baited breaths, I hunkered down on the recliner next to her bed, and fell asleep. Thank goodness there isn't another concert until Thursday. I looked at my watch… Wait! It is Thursday. CRAP! I rushed out of there, and was almost to Fang's window when I stopped. They needed to know I wasn't leaving again. I scrawled a messy little note and shoved it into Fang's cold, lifeless hand before rushing out the window. I turned back for just a second, and I thought I saw a redhead take Fang's hand, the one with the note in it, but I looked at my watch again and decided not to investigate.

" Where the hell were you? You said you were just visiting them for an hour and you were going to meet us here!"

" I'm here now, Jack. Be happy."

" Don't do that again, damn it. Scared us all to death."

" Death's a touchy subject right now, okay? Just drop it."

We performed our usual, but it was a little hard to keep my head in the game. I didn't feel in it. And I wanted so badly to be back there in the hospital, waiting for Angel to regain life. There wasn't much hope for Fang, but I was going to look out for him, too. Let's face it. He's leaving me. He's leaving me, and he won't come back. He can't come back. And it's my entire fault. I should be there, paying for my mistakes and grieving for my losses. Oh, well. Like I get it easy.

" The next one is Summer Sky!"

The intro was pretty slow, and I guess they figured that I was going to be tired, because they played it just a little flat.

Tears dripping off my face

I look into the summer sky

And shout you were just another guy

So what was that about?

I cry

You had to go

I should've known

Now all I've got is summer sky

Grinning fools with watermelons

We looked into the summer sky

You shout you ain't just another guy

Ain't that what loves about

We cry

Okay, you need to go

I should've known

Now all I've got is summer sky

Daffodils and cotton candy

I gaze into the summer sky

I only wish I saw your eyes

As they danced about

I cry

I know you had to go

I should've known

Now all I've got is summer sky

Sweet rain is falling from the heavens

You stare into the summer sky

Making less noise than fireflies

What do you think about

I find

Why you just had to go

I should've known

Now all I've got is summer sky

The caddilac drives off

Smoke whirling in the summer sky

I think about you all the time

Ain't that what loves about

I find

It's okay you had to go

I should've known

Now all I've got is summer sky

Kissing while the movie's runnin'

Oh, I should've seen it comin'

Now all I've got is summer sky

All I've got is summer sky

My voice was shaky, even as it was drowned by the applause. I looked at Wash, he of all people should understand. He gave me a knowing look, but as I tried to open my mouth his voice rang out with inane clarity, " Our next song is 'Wake Up'"

The music was faster and harder for this one… I wonder if they're trying to get the message across.

I'm sorry for the things I said

I can't believe that it's you I dread

Waking screaming in my bed

But I'm not the only one

She's in there worried for her brother

He's worried 'bout his sister's mother

Wake up screaming like I know they do

And they're not the only ones

I know that I'm hiding

The life that I'm fighting

Against my own side

It's just time I'm alive so

Wake up

Put on your face

You're a disgrace

Get up

Make up your mind

All in good time

So just heal up

Trying too hard

Looking to far

Give up

For now cause you

Can't save yourself

Wake up

They cry for their buried daughter

He worries bout his new one, too

Waking crying like they know they do

Like they're the only ones

She frets about the days ahead

He's upset by the things she's said

Waking sweating like we know they do

As if they're the only ones

We know that you're fighting

The lie that you're trying

To keep, It's not working

You slip, you're just hurting me

Wake up

Put on your face

You're a disgrace

Get up

Make up your mind

All in good time

Heal up

Trying too hard

Looking to far

Give up

For now cause you

Can't save yourself

Wake up

Pick your path

Find the thorn in your side

Do the math

It's life that you've tried

Figure out

He's the love of your life

So what's stopping you now?

Wake up

Wake up

Put on your face

You're a disgrace

Get up

Make up your mind

All in good time

Heal up

Trying too hard

Looking to far

Give up

It's now or never

Always forever

Wake up

Wake up

I still felt like I'd been hit by a truck. After I finished with the adoring fans, I zoomed back to New York to see if I could visit Gazzy, or find if Fang or Angel had awakened from their deathly slumber. Jack wasn't too happy, but Wash told me that he'd handle Jack. I sure hope he can. Cause I don't think I'm going to get back in time.

A red- haired candy striper comes into Fang's room just as I enter the window. " Hello, Max. Remember me?"


	7. You'll kill him

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not bothering with another ultimatum. You'll review however much you want, and I can't exactly stop you. But it's not like it's not hard. Also, I'll probably be posting again on Crosshairs and Mariposa very soon. Just for the people who like those stories. Thanks to the people who have reviewed, and thanks to everybody who's joined in the protest. Blood and Gore! Also, I'm closing my poll on the Raine lyrics soon. Like Sunday! So post your vote! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $11. 50. Go ahead, I dare you.

Max's POV

A red- haired candy striper came into Fang's room just as I enter the window. " Hello, Max. Remember me?" Her voice changed from one of jollity to a more vicious, annoyingly sweet tone. "Just stay away from Fang, okay? He's mine, just as soon as he wakes up. You have no claim to him. So just get out… Besides, after what the Flock's got planned for you, I don't think you'll get the chance to even see him wake up. It'd be so ironic of him to outlive you, since he's already in the coma."

" Shut up already, Lissa. You sound like Nudge."

Nudge wheeled in angrily." No, she doesn't. I sound a hell of a lot better."

Lissa looked furious that Nudge wasn't trying to kill me yet, and stormed off. Vindictive little bitch. " Sorry about leaving…"

" Save it for someone who cares…"

" I had a concert, Nudge. I had to perform. And it wasn't like I can call in sick. Okay? I would've stayed, but I had to work. Not like that is more important, but I couldn't get out of it."

" You sound like me."

We laughed, and then she commented on, you guessed correctly, food. I wheeled Nudge down to the cafeteria on her floor and went to get her discharged from the hospital. They said to wait until the morning. Plus they still don't want her overworking herself, and she has a problem with one of her legs at the moment (something about a fracture?). Anyway, it's short-lived, but they want her to stay wheelchair bound. That didn't thrill her much. We got a couple hotdogs each, as a snack, and started talking again.

" You know… you didn't leave a note."

" You think I'd be stupid enough not to leave a note this time? I did leave a note, although, and I'm just venturing a guess here, I think that Lissa the candy striper took it."

" Oh, and that's an excuse?"

Where is it? Where… oh. There it is. I pulled the pencil out of my pocket and threw it to her. A distant look spread across here face as she said, " Fine. You wrote a note. I get it. I should have trusted you…"

" It's fine, Nudge. You were right not to trust me. I deserve it."

She looked like a ton of bricks hit her. "I'll wheel you back to your room."

" No, Max. I want to stay up."

" You need to rest, Nudge."

" I don't want to go."

" Nothing's going to happen while you're asleep."

" Promise… What if they wake up?'

"You'll be the first to know."

This comforted her apparently because she gave up on the argument and finished the little bit that was left of her hotdog. I pulled the chair around the table and headed down the long, narrow hallway to her semiprivate room. " Where's Ig, again?"

" Getting food, and waiting for Gazzy."

" Okay."

We arrived at room 319, and I helped Nudge into her bed. You know, for sick people to get on and off of, these beds are really tall. She squirmed a bit under the sheets and smiled at me. Then I held out my fist, and she tapped it lightly, exhaustion taking over her. " Night, Nudge."

" Night, Max."

I felt happiness at hearing those words again. They made me fell like I could go back to the way things were. Not that they ever could, but it made me feel that way. So even as I went back to the eerily still coma wing, I thought of just how happy I was that I might just be able to hear that from the people I love. I thought about just what I'd give to hear those things that I want so badly to hear. And I thought that if there was one last wish that could be granted for me on this earth, it was to hear all of their voices again. Better yet, would be to hear them forgive me.

I sat at the edge of Angel's bed, playing with the limp curls that lined her angelic face. I wish she'd just wake up, that she'd wake up and be okay. I stayed there for what felt like hours when her breaths became deeper and more frequent. I froze totally unknowing as to what I should do next. Should I call the nurses? Is she dying on me? Finally, after about a minute, an eye opened slightly before closing again. I nearly screamed with joy. She must be waking up… resurfacing to consciousness… something like that. She opened the other eye, too, this time, and I felt so happy. My baby's waking up! She's coming back to me! She scrunched up her face, and grunted. "Don't think so loud. It's too early, Max."

" It's my constitutional right to be happy."

" You've never read the Constitution."

"Yes, I… no… that was the Declaration… okay, it's my declarational right to be happy."

" If you say so."

" So how do you feel, Ange?"

"Do I have to answer that?"

"Yes. The nurses are going to be asking lots of questions, and you want to answer them to get to see Nudge and Gazzy."

" Where are Iggy and Fang?"

" Iggy's waiting with Gazzy. He's fine, and your brother's going to be okay, too. Nudge is down a couple floors, and she's fine, but she's asleep, but she'll want to see you anyway…"

I purposefully didn't even think about Fang. " I asked about Fang, Max. Where is he?"

" You both were on the same side of the car when it hit into the semi. It hit him first, then it scraped through and hit you, you hit into Gazzy and Nudge, and Iggy didn't get hit at all…"

" Where is he?"

" Down the hall. It doesn't look like he's waking up soon, or at all. But I don't want to spoil the fact that you're up now. You should be happy for surviving."

Angel wasn't listening anymore. Tears ran down her cheeks and made little red streaks where the tears touched her white skin. The edges of her eyes were now red and puffy, and sobs started pulsing through her body. " Calm down, Angel. It's gonna be okay. He's probably going to wake up. He's Fang, for Pete's sake! He's a fighter, one of the best. He'll be back and better in no time flat. He'll be fine."

" What if he isn't fine? What are we going to do without him?"

" We'll survive, Angel. I don't know how, but we'll have to. But we don't even have to think about that yet. He's not dying today. I promise. He won't die today."

The clock blinked 12:00 a minute after I said that. Well, thank somebody that I'm not lying. I got the nurses to check Angel out and took her down to see Nudge, who was ecstatic. " Angel! You're awake! Finally!"

Nudge coughed, and looked really tired, so Angel had her go back to sleep. Well, she forced her, but you get the idea. " Come on, Ange. Let's go visit Gaz and let Nudge sleep."

I picked her up, and I carried her down to the bottom floor where ICU is. Iggy was in the lobby, and the constant din left him lost and confused. " Are they letting anybody in yet?"

Iggy looked furiously in my direction. " Why are you here, Max? Care to kill us off this time? Planning to put us through more hurt? Cause I honestly don't feel like it. So go away, you stupid traitor."

" Iggy, Max isn't a traitor. She was just confused."

"Angel, you didn't need to say it for me. I would've said it myself."

" Remember that I read minds. You weren't."

" Fine."

I sat down and Ig's murderous look faded from his face. I shifted Angel to my lap, and restarted the conversation. "We came down here to see you guys."

" What constitutes 'we'?"

"Me and Angel."

"How long have you been up, Ange?"

" Half an hour. Can I see Gazzy?"

" Not right now, Ange. Nobody's letting us in there. Not tonight, anyway. They might let us in tomorrow."

Angel pouted." D-rats! I want to see Gazzy."

" No mind controlling, Angel. It's only a little time before it's morning. How about you go to sleep and it'll pass the time."

She'd been moved to a new room on the same floor as Nudge, but it was just down the hall. I tucked her in and took the elevator of doom to Fang's. I walked in to the loads of foliage again, so I picked it up and cleared it out before I sat at the edge of Fang's bed, taking in all of what I'd missed this last year.

He was still handsome, his angular face glowing in the pale moonlight. I sat there, and I finally reached out to touch his face. He'd have grabbed my hand if he weren't in such a state, so here was my chance. My chance to express how I felt without rejection. I took his hand in mine then, and rubbed the back of it reassuringly." Come on, Fang. We'll get though this. I know it. We've survived worse; we'll get through this. I promise we will. We have to…"

I heard a noise, and I turned. "Long time, no gag. Get out, Lissa."

"I know about your "family's" little secret. And I'm willing to keep it quiet, too, Max. I just want Fang in return."

" No."

" Well, then. You'll see yourselves on the front page."

" Lissa, be reasonable, please."

" No."

" What if I did give you Fang? What if I did let you have him? Do you know what would happen?"

" We'd be happy. We'd get married and be happy, just like the storybooks. Better than the story books."

" Hardly. You'd keep him grounded, so he wouldn't fly away. He'd lose a major part of himself, so he'd stop flying, and then he'd lose interest in doing things, like playing, and laughing and making jokes. Then, he'd lose interest in things like going outside, or leaving the house at all, even for necessary things, like grocery shopping. He'd stop talking altogether, not that he ever did that much to begin with, and then slowly, you'd see the light fade from his eyes until they were blank. You'd see his skin grow pale. You'd watch as he became so skinny and tired from lack of food. Then all he'd do is stare out the window. You wouldn't be able to talk to him, because he'd ignore you. But you'd still come in everyday, just to see him. So you'd know the day when his will to live caved in to the madness that lies beyond hopelessness. You'd bring one of the strongest fighters to his knees, and his death, because you thought he was cute. That's not how we want to go down. We want to go down fighting. I won't allow you, a pathetic human, to kill him because of your own selfishness. I already have to repay him for my own. I can't allow you to kill my best friend, so get out, and don't come back."

She watched Fang's chest rise and fall slowly, then turned to me with tears in her eyes. "You can't stop me from having him. He loves me, you'll see. He's mine, and you're just jealous, because you can't do anything about it!"

Let's just say I didn't like that last statement, and leave it at that. Or for those of you who want the details… I bloody knocked her cold. Nobody's going to hurt him like that. Nobody. Just consider it part of my redemption. I walked her down to the lobby with Iggy in it, and set her in one of the chairs. Then I grabbed a pad of paper that was sitting on a table, and I wrote a little note for Lissa:

" If you ever come near my flock again, or do anything that has anything to do with my flock, I will skin you alive, you stupid bitch.

VERY, VERY sincerely,

Max"

I shoved it into her hand and went back to Fang's room. Finally, some peace and quiet to absorb all that's happened today. I sat down beside Fang, and let my thoughts drift until I finally fell asleep.

Angel's POV

I was in the car again. I don't know why I kept reliving this moment. Why? I looked back as I saw Max crying into her friend, Jack's, shoulder. Her sobs made her body shake violently, and the sound would make the devil cover his ears. I couldn't stand to look into her thoughts anymore, so I shut them out, and focused on what was happening here. Fang was crying, too. Silently, but still.

I looked into his head and saw that tears blurred his vision terribly. _Pull over! Pull over, Fang! You're going to get us killed! _He didn't answer me, or do anything for that matter, so I used the mind control. He wasn't going to be happy, but it was for the best. _You gotta do what's best, Angel. Even if it means giving yourself up to that decision. You gotta do what's best._ Max's voice rang in my head like mellow, happy golden bells. _FANG. Pull. Over. Now._ His mind bowed to mine and I found myself driving the car. Oh, no.

I tried pulling over, but it was too much, too fast. We burst through the divider and swerved into oncoming traffic. I tried to steer as best I could, but I watched as I swerved towards a semi. I felt Fang think, _goodbye, Max_, and then I braced myself for the blackness that enveloped me.


	8. Apologize

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not bothering with another ultimatum. You'll review however much you want, and I can't exactly stop you. But it's not like it's not hard. I'm going to post on my other stories, too. This one is just so much fun! I closed the poll about a half hour ago, and 80 percent of you want me to post the songs on the net. It may take a while though, and I'm not the greatest, so I'm just warning you there, but I do plan on posting them as soon as they sound decent on Garageband. Thanks to you wonderful reviewers! I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you awesome people! And thanks for all the people who have taken up the protest. Activism is the path to change! Blood and Gore! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $23. 50. Go ahead, pay me, I dare you. I could use the money, too.

Max's POV

I woke up feeling something poking at my cheek. I tried to swat it away, although it had already annihilated my reverie, but it kept poking my cheek. " Stop."

I finally opened my eyes. I was covered in plants. Don't ask me how I ended up that way. I pulled them off as fast as I could and tried to make the abundant green life submit to the trashcan. I don't want more people to find out about us. As I cleaned though, I kept wondering how Fang managed to do all this. It couldn't have be Nudge, or me, and Lissa's just a human, so it had to be Fang.

I was almost finished when a vine grew towards me and quickly budded and flowered into a single white tulip. How did he know to give me one of my favorites? I've always loved tulips because they originated in the most inhospitable place on Earth, and managed to survive, while still being beautiful. It kind of reminded me about the Flock. They were all beautiful to me, and they lived through so much…." Max! There you are! Gazzy's up!"

I raced down to ICU with Iggy trying to keep up. Nudge and Angel were already in there, happy and excited that he was up and running. Everybody but Fang, Iggy and I were getting released today, so this new step was a cause for much excitement. " Hey, Gaz," I said, leaning against the doorframe.

" What are you doing here, Max? I don't want you here..."

Nudge, ironically, silenced him. "I asked her to comeback. We need a leader, and we especially need one now, with Fang-"

I slapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't worry him, Nudge."

"What happened to Fang?"

Angel blurted, " Coma wing, just like where I was. But he'll be up soon. Max promised."

Thanks, Angel. Worry him more why don't you? Give the poor kid a heart attack, why don't you?"That means so much to me right now…" He said sarcastically.

"I'm not leaving again, Gaz. You're stuck with me."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it," He grumbled.

I used my "sales person voice". You know, where it's like " I've got all these special features that you want in this little thingamabob right here…". "It does mean that you can possibly tour with Raine, though. We do have a concert in say, I don't know… 8 hours. And I have to be down in St. Paul soon, because I already got into a fight with Jack over coming to see you guys. Plus, it's easier than worrying about you and losing my focus…"

" You had me at "tour". I'm in."

I laughed. "I thought it was supposed to be "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, not his music. But hey, this works for me."

When we got there I introduced everybody to Gazzy, and only Jack seemed a little upset that I'd brought him. " He's my brother, Jack. I haven't seen him in so long. And he really loves the music. Please say you'll be nice? Please?"

" Fine."

" Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're so awesome, Jack."

" That's cause I'm the drummer."

Faye coughed (she likes Jack) and I let go of Jack, fast. An angry Faye is not a pretty sight. Believe me. We walked into our little sound booth and started warming up. Gazzy watched happily, I mean. It was the least I could do. And he still didn't trust me, but things were getting better. We ran through all our songs, and a couple of newer ones I've been working with, and we left to get into costumes and stress over making a mistake onstage. I can't lip-sync to save my life, so everything's live. Yup. Live. So every time we spend the last 5 minutes collectively freaking out. I started talking to Faye about how she really should say something to Jack before he starts dating one of the fan girls, but she shrugged me off, and we got to work.

We all started screaming made up curses and screaming like banshees to get rid of the butterflies that live in our stomachs. Some guy with a walkie-talkie told us to make our way onstage, and being considerate of the people around us, I followed his demand. But I was pretty pissed at how rude he was. I got out there ready to rock, and we … well, rocked the place. St. Paul's gonna remember us.

Other than that it was particularly boring. Gazzy and I flew back to the NYC after that, and I went through Fang's window in the hospital to avoid any confrontation with the little volunteer nurse. I needed to be here. I needed Fang. There's so much difference between who he is and who he was, but I don't care. I love him. I landed on the edge of his bed and laid there at the end of his bed and cried.

I don't know what to do. Part of me feels on top of the world, living a nice life and being one of the most sought after people in the biz at the moment, and then it comes crashing down on me, like everything else. I'm just wondering when the roofs gonna fall in on me again. I'm just waiting for it, anticipating it so I know that it's real. I want to reach out for the things that I want, and I touch them, for a second, and then I do something stupid and the fleeting object falls from my grasp.

I don't have anything to be proud of. I don't have anything to work towards. As soon as I get where I want to be the floor slips from under me and I'm hanging again, wondering if it's worth it to pull myself back up. I know what Fang might have said. I know what he'd have said if I wasn't so stupid and ruined that, too. I've screwed everything up. Do I fix it? Is it worth it to have the ups if I will always end up with the downs soon after?

I'm starting to think it was a bad idea to come back at all. I should have stayed gone. It was selfish for me to leave, but it was more selfish of me to come back. Should I leave again, even after I promised I wouldn't? Should I do the right thing and let them live a better life without me? Will it hurt them more than I already have? I sink from the bed to the floor and I somehow end up under the bed, blackness enveloping me.

Fang's POV (the next morning)

I don't know what to feel. Or if I should. Or if I do. I don't feel my limbs, and no sight comes to my eyes. Only sound reaches my ears, them being the only things unaffected, I think. I can hear Max whisper in my ear. She said, "I'm so sorry. This is all because I was too stupid, and thought that you guys might actually forgive me. What I did was unforgivable. I know you probably don't want me to be here. I just want to say I'm sorry, and… I love you. But I don't think that'll change anything. You'll still hate me for leaving, and I'll still feel all the pain and guilt. No, I don't think it'll change anything."

Forever passed, and everything was silent. Maybe she was sleeping. I wanted to reach out and touch her, and I tried to. But I couldn't feel anything. I wanted to hug her, to make her pain disappear, like she has mine. My hurt vanishes as I hear her voice echo in my mind. I just can't believe she's back, that she's staying here with us. Why can't I touch her? I want to scream with frustration, but I can't even do that. Why? I want to tell her that I've loved her; I never even got to do that. I was going to, believe me. I had everything set up, planned perfectly. And what does she do? She's gone. Now she's back, and I'll admit, at first I was torn between hating her guts for leaving, or just plain wanting her back. But once I was in that car, I just lost it. I need Max, just plain and simple. Where is she going? I hear footsteps, and then someone turns the radio on. The song is Apologize by Onerepublic:

I'm holding on your rope,

Got me ten feet off the ground

I'm hearin' what you say but I just can't make a sound

You tell me that you need me

Then you go and cut me down, but wait

You tell me that you're sorry

Didn't think I'd turn around, and say...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late

I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

I'd take another chance, take a fall

Take a shot for you

And I need you like a heart needs a beat

But it's nothin' new

I loved you with a fire red-

Now it's turning blue, and you say...

"Sorry" like the angel heaven let me think was you

But I'm afraid...

It's too late to apologize, it's too late

I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

Bridge (guitar/piano)

It's too late to apologize, it's too late

I said it's too late to apologize, it's too late

It's too late to apologize, yeah

I said it's too late to apologize, yeah-

I'm holdin' on your rope, got me ten feet off the ground...

That kind of resembles what I feel about Max. It's too late for her to apologize, but in a different way. I've already forgiven her, so she doesn't even need to say the words. Not that I won't savor hearing them, because her voice, or anything about her, just plain drives me crazy, but all I need is to know is that she loves me, and that she's staying. And to get out of whatever state I'm in; it is beyond frustrating.


	9. My mother

**A/N:** Hey, I'm not bothering with another ultimatum. You'll review however much you want, and I can't exactly stop you. But it's not like it's not hard. I'm going to post on my other stories, too. This one is just so much fun! To curezen: Umm… I'm updating. Please don't track me down… and you can let the clone have the fudge! Just give it the fudge! And thanks to you wonderful reviewers! I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for you awesome people! And thanks for all the people who have taken up the protest. Activism is the path to change! Blood and Gore! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $23. 50. Go ahead, pay me, I dare you. I could use the money, too.

Faye POV

I was in the hotel room we using for the night. We needed to stock up on supplies for the tour bus, and Mia and MR needed a lot of sleep if they were going to be in tune for the next performance. They're not like us, who can adjust and play well however we feel. They go flat without sleep, and then we're down the tube. So we're in the largest suite in this particular hotel, and I'm fretting about how Wash is handling Jack. I'm worried. He's not taking the fact that Max wants to spend some time with her family all that well. I don't know why, but I really want him to get over it ASAP. Max loves her family. She needs her family, and I want the option to be open to her.

Wash walks out of His and Jack's room, and wipes his forehead as he moves towards the couch in the main area of the suite. "Faye, you wanna take a crack at him?"

No. Jack's doesn't have a short temper, but I know he's toeing the line, waiting for it to be crossed. " I guess I will."

I walk into the guy's room, and I see Jack, pacing shirtless around the room, muttering to himself. I've got a hunch about this… " Jack, I know this isn't just about MR. You'd have been fine if it was just one thing bugging you. But it isn't… so what is it, Jack? Tell me."

"No."

I'm so scared, but I need to focus and get to the bottom of this. It's for Jack, and MR. "It can't be anything that bad, Jack. Please. If you tell me, I can help you through this. I promise."

"That's what she said, too."

"What who said, Jack."

He stopped pacing and stared straight at me, horror-stricken. "My mother."

Gazzy's POV

I walked into Fang's hospital room to see if Max was there, and found her covered in a whole bush full of plants under the bed. Her face was still red, so I figured she'd been crying in the last hour or so. " Max, don't you have a concert today?"

_Uggh. Don't remind me._ Okay, so what would you do if you just heard something, that certainly wasn't you, inside your head? If you chose freak out and practically scream like a girl, then you and I think along the same lines. Max was up and at 'em in no time. "What's wrong, Gazzy?"

I am so not telling her about this! " Umm… I just stepped on my other foot, and with the heavy boots, plus my own weight, it hurt. A lot."

" Okay, and yes, I do have a concert today. Want to come along?"

That would totally keep my mind off all of this crazy stuff, which no doubt is going to freak me out for then next couple weeks at least. " Definitely."

Max's POV

Gazzy's acting really strange today. I know he lied to me about stepping on his foot. Please, I'm not that dense. And he's too tense, like he's ready for something to jump out and attack him. Which there used to be, but not anymore. So that classifies as odd, too. So if anybody has any idea as to what's wrong with Gazzy, let me know.

It was pretty early, and we left to get to Denver right after grabbing some food. Faye looked really weirded out when I met up with them, but I decided that with everybody going nuts at the moment, I decided to let it drop and focus on the work.

We went into the sound booth and started running through the tracks, again. I noticed Gazzy mouthing the words to all of them, so I decided to freak them out just a little. " Hey, Gaz. Think you can do better than me?"

" I just might. You never know."

" I dare you to try."

" Fine. I will."

I motioned for the rest to start playing "Fireflies". I didn't sing though. I wanted to see if Gazzy could actually keep up with it.

Running through the tall green grass

Waiting for all this to pass

We walk up and turn away

Too afraid to say hello

Cause we just don't want to show

That we feel the same way

Oh, this love we have

It's too good to last

So just take a chance

And come with me

I wanna watch the fireflies

Lighting your eyes

With surprise

As we take to the skies

I wanna fly away

Into the night

It's so bright

I wanna see your delight

As we get up and take flight

Racing past the city streets

Looking at you

Look so sweet

I can't seem to turn away

You're all dressed up and look at me

You're the only thing I see

So can't I think up something to say?

Oh, this love we have

It's too good to last

So just take a chance

And come with me

I wanna watch the fireflies

Lighting your eyes

With surprise

As we take to the skies

I wanna fly away

Into the night

It's so bright

I wanna see your delight

As we get up and take flight

You lead me down the path to your home

We're all alone

In the dark night we've shown

That we are our own

And it feels so right this way

Oh, this love we have

It's too good to last

So just take a chance

And come with me

I wanna watch the fireflies

Lighting your eyes

With surprise

As we take to the skies

I wanna fly away

Into the night

It's so bright

I wanna see your delight

As we get up and take flight

Wow. He sounds a lot like me. But then again, he's the Gasman. Even the calm Faye was freaking out when she found out I wasn't singing. But they calmed down after a bit and we went back to work. Maybe… maybe I'm not hurting them that much after all.


	10. The bitch, the slut, and the cancer

**A/N:** Hey, check out the new-and-improved chapter 4! What's different? I got fed up looking at those stupid lyrics to "Supergirl". They were bad compared to what I feel I can accomplish, and the tune was more like noise than music. So it's been changed! Yay! I hope you like this one better. This one's dedicated to aviator301, who sadly has been grounded. And I hope you like the band POVs! Plus for those of you who really wanted me to record the songs… I've started recording Rain, and I'm working on the webpage as we speak! Blood and Gore! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. If I did you'd have to pay me $23. 50. Go ahead, pay me, I dare you. I could use the money, too. Plus, now it comes with the Rain- Single (a $9.99 value)! (This is a joke! All but the " I don't own Max Ride." bit is sarcasm. I don't mean for you guys to actually buy this.)

Faye's POV (back at the hotel before MR and Gaz got there)

" My mother."

Now I'm definitely scared. He looks as if he's freaking out, too. Like he's remembering something he doesn't want to. " What is it? What did she say?"

"She promised she'd be there. She said she'd come back…" Tears were in his eyes now, and I was wondering if I'd struck a cord. I wonder if it's safe for me to go farther. " She said that it was just going to be a few minutes."

Now the tears rolled out the red carpet across his handsome face. He pretty much fell to the bed, and I sat down next to him, wrapping my arm around his shoulder. " Jack, it's okay. You can tell me."

" I… I was six. We were driving- moving, again. There was a storm. She said she was going into the gas station to get some Tylenol. She said it was going to be five minutes, and then she'd be back. So I was in the car… I was right there, on the road, about 200 feet away… watched as the tornado picked up the gas station, and threw it… I don't know, a mile? 10 miles? … It killed her, and I was alone. She left me, and I got shoved around like an unwanted kickball through foster care…" He finally composed himself. "Nobody adopted me. Now, I'm here, doing better than I can possibly imagine… and I don't want to lose everything all over again."

I hugged him, hard, and I whispered, "You won't lose everything. And that's a promise I can keep."

Then I kissed him, and walked softly out of the room. It was about time to get ready for the concert anyway, but truth be told, I didn't want to know what his reaction was just yet.

Mia's POV (Drama alert!!)

What does Faye have that I don't? I don't get it. Why do both Jack and Wash like her? I don't see much difference! Grr… I may be the girly girl, but that doesn't mean I'm not tough. And it's not like I really like them all that much, but still! It'd be nice to be liked for a change! I sit there in silence waiting for Jack and Faye to finish doing whatever, and I get a call on my cell." Hello?"

It was Aurelie, my half sister. And she was crying. "What's wrong, Aurelie? Is it… Is it Random?"

That made her cry harder. " Is it…"

Then I heard the words that scared me to death… "Yes."

Is it possible to die of shock, pain, loss, and utter horror? If so, I did. " Oh. My. God…"

It can't be cancer. It just can't! Random's only 14 for Pete's sake! Why? He's such a good person! He's never done anything wrong, really! He was normal and happy, and… Dear God, does Mom know? If she comes near him, I'll…" Aurelie? Lee? You there?"

"Yeah?"

" Is anyone there with you besides Mami?"

Mami is what we call our grandmother, who's been taking care of us since our mom, a lush and a slut, decided to do the right thing and desert the 6 of us at Mami's doorstep. I was 12. There was Gwen first; she's 28. Then I came along 7 years later. My half sisters Nicolette and Aurelie came next; they're both 19, and Aurelie has been staying with Mami to help with the last two and any others mom sends to our doorstep. Random and Chase were the last set of twins, and they are 14. Mom was drunk while they were born, so we had to get them out of there before she named Chase "Cheez whiz". She got to name Random, though. I wouldn't have forgiven her for it if I were him, but hey, he was a baby when she abandoned us, so I can't really say much about it. And then Random has a girlfriend, Kayla, that we acquired last year. "Yes. Kayla got here about 15 minutes ago, and Gwen is here. Mami's been sick lately so she's at home… Mia, I know you don't want her to be here, but if she comes and Random wants to see her, I will let her go in…"

I cut her off." No, you won't, Aurelie. No, you won't. I've raised him since he was a baby and I'm not going to let some monster come in and wreck his life even further. Just tell me how bad it is and then don't you dare let her come near him. But hurry up about it, I have to get ready for the next concert soon."

" Stage 2… So he has a shot, for whatever that's worth. But I can't say that it's huge. Kayla's not taking it well, and Gwen is having trouble keeping tears at bay… We really need you here, M."

" We have a concert in LA in a week. I can visit then, but that's about all I can do…"

God, I wish I was Max. She can go anywhere she wants to and see her family as much as she wants. I need to be there for my family, too. Why can't I?

Wash's POV

I sat down on the couch and stared out the window. My sisters' pleas kept ringing in my ears. " Wash, please! She's gonna get drunk one of these days, we all know it! She's gonna get drunk, and then what? You want us to die, like Amy? She gave up her life for us. For you, Wash. Get us out of here! If not for us, for Amy!" I could hear the tears in her eyes as Natalie continued, " It's what she would've wanted, Wash. She would've wanted us not to relive her life… Please."

" What would I do then? Take care of 3 kids, by myself, while touring! I can't leave you guys without anything, but I can't get custody! I'm only 20, Nat! Here… Put Deirdre on the line…"

My oldest sister came on the line with a huffy attitude, annoyance perfectly portrayed in her usually calm voice." Come on, Wash…"

" Don't start that, Deirdre. You know all about the legal systems. You know about the statute of limitations. Now, I know you can talk some sense into them. Please, just talk them out of it…"

I only remembered that much, as there was a scream and the sound of glass breaking. I hung up, scared and shaken from the conversation that happened 2 hours ago. I looked out the window for any idea as to how I could have overcome this and then to be so horrible as to leave others to the same fate.

Then I started thinking about Amy. Amy…She was the best little sister anybody could have. Then again, she was only 3 minutes younger than me, but that didn't stop me from calling her "little"… That was the night I walked out of that godforsaken house for good. I remembered it all too clearly…

Flashback

I was the only one with my own room. And I'd sit in there, quietly concentrating on the sounds that came from the main rooms. This was Chicago, so there were no pesky basements to deal with, and I could hear everything that went on in the other rooms of the apartment.

The door slammed, and a drunken, high-pitched laugh echoed through the emptiness that followed her arrival. Mom, actually, I refused to call her my mother any more… so, Rachel wobbled over to the kitchen. Probably to fix another Bloody Mary. I heard pixie-light footsteps towards that room. Oh, god, no… Amy! What is that girl doing? She knows how much Rachel doesn't like her when she's drunk. Actually, Rachel never liked Amy. For a while she pretended she did, but not anymore. Rachel gulped something and spoke in a slurred and sloppy voice. "What are you doing here, bitch?"

Great. Set Amy off, why don't you? When I heard the voice though, I was completely astonished. It was Lauren, the youngest. " Mommy, I want a hug."

" I hate you, you stupid bitch."

Lauren started to cry. Then Amy came in and started another rant. "Why don't you think about somebody besides yourself for once? Think about how much Dierdre and Natalie and Lauren all need a mother to care for them, Mom! You can't keep doing this to us! And I know that's just the booze talking, so I forgive you…"

My twin always did like sticking up against Rachel, and although I usually joined in, I could never amount to the outspoken Amy. I cringed as Rachel shattered the glass, and spoke something incoherent as I leapt up from my spot on the floor in my room. I can't say that I agree with what either of them are doing, but I know it's because of the abuses they've received. Amy started moving slowly in an arc, and I knew there was going to be a fight. I was the strongest in this house, so I went out there to make sure only words, and the occasional light jab were the only things thrown. We don't have enough money to let something get broken, what with Rachel using it all to buy booze.

I jogged into the kitchen of our tiny apartment only to watch as my twin was stabbed in the gut by my mother. Whether or not I disowned her, this hurt way beyond imagining. Amy fell to the floor with a thud, and I rushed to her side, while Rachel laughed haughtily. " Amy, God. Amy! Wake up!"

She looked up at me sadly. She knew. Oh, God. Oh, God, no! " Amy, stay with me. Come on, you can get through this. It'll be okay."

" Of course it will... because you're going to save them. You need to get them out of here. It's what we do."

And then she went limp on the cold tile of the kitchen, her last breath no more than the sound of a pin dropping. I got up from my knees, filled with rage, and a hatred to fiery to keep within the depths of my soul. " You did this to her! You killed your own daughter, and you're laughing? You're laughing? I can't believe you can even stand yourself, you evil bitch!"

Against what Amy had said, I packed up my stuff, and ran out the door, away from my troubles, and the people who needed me to protect them. But I was safe, and, at the moment, that was all that mattered.

Max's POV

I was having trouble concentrating as I flew back to the hotel that the band was staying in. I couldn't help it. The doctors told me that Fang had only a slim chance to come out of the coma, and that it would be better if I spent some time away from the hospital to start to cope with the impending loss. But apparently, Fate had a little more in store than I had in mind.


	11. He's ALIVE!

This is just a little filler chapter with a Major A/N. Just to let y'all know. So here we go. I have a webpage for posting all my lyrics and songs, and photos, etc. Check out my profile for the URL.

Disclaimer: I don't own max ride. But I own my songs, and my OCs.

So now on to the filler chapter…

Angel's POV

I concentrated hard, staring at Fang's limp body. He couldn't be dead, he couldn't! I won't let you die, Fang! The little heart… machine… ooh, whatever it's called! It kept doing this screech, and I can't make it stop, and a little red, straight line was in the little box that used to make little jumpy motions. And it's not helping me concentrate! I've had enough of this. _FANG!_ I used my mind control. If there was any hope, it was with this. _FANG! WAKE UP!! _

I watched as Fang's body sprung from the bed as he sat bolt upright and started breathing. The little… oh, that's what it is, a monitor, started chirping happily with each heartbeat. And then Fang went ballistic. He was screaming bloody murder as the nurses rushed in, looking at me as if it were my fault. _Puh- leaze,_ I thought, _If I didn't do anything, he'd be dead, and you'd still have to deal with him. Woah, not what I needed to know, lady! He's my brother, not a boy-toy!_

I walked along with the stretcher they strapped him to and followed it to the new room they situated him in, waiting for him to stop screaming and become coherent. " Fang, calm down. Calm down. I'm here…"

He looked long and hard at me, as if he were confused, but I wasn't reading his brain at the moment. I'm not entirely sure I want to know what he's thinking about right now. "Who are you? And what did you just call me?"

" Huh?"

"I asked who you are, and what you called me."

He looked frantically around the room again, as if waiting for Erasers to come and attack him. _Why do I not remember anything? Who is that kid? Why does she seem familiar? Who am I? What am I doing here? I seem perfectly fine. My back itches._

" Fang, it's me, Angel. You don't remember me, but I was the youngest one… of the flock. You remember them, right? You're here because you were in a car crash. You just woke up from a coma. The amnesia will probably wear off in a couple hours, they think."

_Flock…familiar. That answers a couple questions. AMNESIA! _"It's okay, Fang. It'll be okay. They say it'll wear off soon. That you'll gain your memories back. It'll be fine…"

"Easy for you to say! You know who you are! You know why you're here, which is obviously to pester me! But you're cute, kind of angelic, so just leave me alone and come back some other time…"

I had almost left the door, tears falling in silent streaks down my face, when he spoke up again. "Wait. I… I don't know anybody. Except you. I…I…" _I need help. I don't know who people are. Or what I should know. And this little girl seems to have some sort of idea._

" I'll help you, Fang."

_Can she hear my thoughts? That's creepy._

" Yes, I can, Fang. And, no, it's not, you're just not used to it."

We talked for a little bit before the stress and everything mad him fall asleep. He didn't remember anything, and I was so afraid that I'd caused it.


	12. Forgotten

**A/N:** Hey, check out the new-and-improved chapter 4! What's different? I got fed up looking at those stupid lyrics to "Supergirl". So it's been changed! Yay! I hope you like the new version better ( hint hint review for this one and tell me what you think about the new lyrics in chapter 4 hint hint) I hope you like this chapter, too. Plus for those of you who really wanted me to record the songs… I've started recording Rain, and I've got the webpage semi-finctional! Oh, and one other thing… I haven't been getting enough reviews lately, so I'm not updating until I get 78 reviews. That's 9 reviews to go. Much Love! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or Forgotten by Linkin Park. If I did… Well, it'd be something like this…

Max's POV-

Okay, can something go right for a change? We're doing fine at the concerts mind you, but once we're out, it's mass panic. Only Faye and I are really keeping it together, and I don't know how much longer it's going to take for her to break down. Jack still hasn't said anything about their Kiss, Wash paces every night, worrying about his sisters. Mia is tempted to sneak out at night and take a train to LA. I'm thinking that the one way to keep this band together is to take a vacation as soon as the tour's over. We can't stop the tour, that'd be bad publicity, but they're going freaking bug nuts! Iggy's been calling me on my cell almost nonstop, but I barely have time to talk to him. Beep… Beep… Beep. That'd be him. " Hi, Ig."

" Max, we need you to come back to New York right away… There's been a development…"

Faye screamed and Wash woke up, grumbling loudly. " I'm sorry, Ig! I gotta go right now. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

" Max, I'm serious! You nee-"

" Iggy. I'm sorry! The doc said 2 weeks at least, and I'm needed here right now. The tour's gonna be over in a month, so I'm coming back in about a 5 weeks. I'm really sorry, but I gotta go now."

I quickly hung up before he could reply, and rushed to the main room where I heard Faye screaming. She had been on the phone apparently, and had dropped it, making the rigid black plastic shatter despite the plush carpet. Wash was looking at her with a look of deep annoyance, and if I was right, a little contempt. " What the hell has been going on in here?"

Faye looked up, still shaken. "My grandfather's dying. We need to get this tour moving."

Nothing really exciting happened in the next 3 and a half weeks, except everyone was at the other one's throats besides me, but then we split up for the time being, letting each other cool down before we really get mad and kill the good thing we have going here. Then Faye's grandfather died, and Jack volunteered to go with her. Mia went to Los Angeles, and from what she tells me, Random is getting better. He's doing chemotherapy, and it seems to be working, but she and Aurelie are staying there to help out with her Mami, and the next five her mother abandoned. Holy crap! I have no idea what Mia's mom does for a living, but I don't think I want to find out. Wash and I are in Chicago at the moment, trying to either get enough evidence to put his mom behind bars, or at least to get his sisters out of there. Nobody should be going through that. We walked along the streets at night, where nobody could recognize me if I had my glasses off. We were walking to his old apartment building, and although we don't know if they moved, Wash hasn't had contact with Deirdre, Lauren, or Natalie since that last phone call, and we figure something bad probably happened. " I wonder… what is you're real name? Nobody ever says it. So I want to know what it is…"

" My name's Albert Grayson."

He seemed to wince when I asked my next question. " So then why are you called wash?"

" When I was 6 my mother got in a rage and made me drink ammonia. Have you got any other questions?"

" Why didn't you do anything for them before?"

"That's none of your business."

" Hey, I was just asking! It's not like you just come out and say everything that's on your mind!"

He ignored me and turned to what looked like an old abandoned apartment building. "Home, sweet home."

Jack's POV (the only one I haven't done yet, besides Ig's)

Faye and I were on the plane to Alberta, Canada, and I was worried. I wanted, but was entirely too unsure of saying, to speak of what I felt to Faye about what happened between us. I needed to comfort her, as I watched her tense, and slightly shaking, form. I can't stand this! She won't tell me anything about what exactly's going on, but I can sure as hell tell it's not that her grandfather died! She'd be grieving if it were that. She'd be entirely too upset to be sitting there, shaking, looking as if she feared for her life!

She turned to face me suddenly, as if she sensed my unease. " Jack, do something for me…"

I didn't like where this was heading. She continued " My past is quite a bit different from yours. I just need you to understand. I'll tell you when it's necessary for you to know. Just remember, after we get off that plane, everything I say will be a lie. And if I tell you that I like daisies, it means that I need you to kill me. Do you understand?"

" What's going on, Faye?"

"Some of us lose the people we love, Jack. Some of us lose something more important than that…"

" That's not answering the question."

"But that's the only answer you're going to get."

" No it's not, Faye."

"Fine. I came from a wealthy family, okay? Only they needed an heir to the fortune, someone like them. Someone as bloodthirsty as them. Well, I was. But I wasn't like them at all. I was raised in the upper crust society, Jack. The one where you have to wear a dress to dinner. Only I wore jeans. And I spit. And I plucked up wildflowers and made mud pies, and walked to the US to learn English. Only my grandfather didn't disavow me. He did something much, much worse. That was the only one thing I didn't like about grandfather…."

Iggy's POV

Fang was starting to get better. He knew what to call things, although sometimes they were only on the tip of his tongue. I was helping as much as I could, and Angel, Gazzy, and Nudge were doing much better job at it. I mostly just kept things in order and cooked, of course. I was also the one who kept trying to call Max. Nudge was tracking her cell phone, just in case there should be an emergency on either end. She was in Chicago, who knows why! She should be here!

Suddenly, Angel screeched as Nudge ran into the room and Gazzy held a book in his hand, which hit against the door frame, as he raced in. But it looked as if all three had different problems to discuss." One at a time, please!"

Angel started, as nobody argued with what she wanted, nobody but Max and Fang, but for the moment, they were out for the count. "I had a surge of thoughts running through my brain. It hurt. Some of them were from Max, some were others. I don't know who the other ones are. They were all screaming at something in their mind. I'll be fine in a minute."

" Okay, Ange."

Gazzy started next. " I've got a book that I borrowed, from the library, and it might help Fang get his memories back. Do you think we should try it now, or wait to see what Max thinks?"

" Wait for Max, she needs to find someway to help."

Nudge sounded panicky as I finished the statement, and for a second, I was confused, bit then it dawned on me as she spoke. " Max is missing. She's off the map. I just can't find her anywhere, and I'm trying really hard."

SHIT! "Ow!" Angel glared at me, " And watch your language."

"Well, do you have any better ideas? She's gone renegade, again, in a place that I can't maneuver easily in, and you comment on my language, INside my head?"

Max's POV

GOD DAMN! I looked at the blood on the walls, and I scrounged around looking for clues between the parts that were covered in blood and the parts that were burnt to a crisp. We couldn't find anything of Amy's. It was as if she didn't exist, unless you knew better…" Over here!"

Wash was getting almost obsessive, looking at even the most obviously unimportant things as if they held the secret to life, the universe and everything. I rushed over, just because in case it was something important, I wanted to get there fast. There were blood-splattered diaries under a floor board. One had a knife inside, and inside a handkerchief was a shattered glass with brown, dried blood. Better yet, there were fingerprints. I picked up the one that looked the oldest and opened it. A crumpled, stained piece of paper fell out and I unfolded it. " if you find this: read these diaries. Take the glass to the police. This is the place of the murder of Amy Grayson. We were supposed to torch the place. But we disobeyed her, and although she doesn't know, if she finds out, we won't be able to stop her ourselves. We need you to help us. Please. Natalie, Deirdre, and Lauren Grayson."

They're in trouble. I can feel it in my bones. There is trouble in this place.

From the top to the bottom

Bottom to top I stop

At the core I've forgotten

In the middle of my thoughts

Taken far from my safety

The picture is there

The memory won't escape me

But why should I care (2x)

I looked around the place with new eyes, seeing the possibilities for what things could be in the face of a killer. And what I saw was beyond disturbing.

There's a place so dark you can't see the end

(Skies cock back) and shock that which can't defend

The rain then sends dripping acidic questions

Forcefully, the power of suggestion

Then with the eyes tightly shut looking thought the rust and rotten dust

A spot of light floods the floor

And pours over the rusted world of pretend

The eyes ease open and its dark again

I felt like the little girls now, the ones I now planned to save. I could look at a toothbrush, and see not only how infrequently it had been used, but how it could be used to kill, to maim, to beat away anything unwanted. The blood frozen in its movement down the walls, now seemed not only frightening, but full of courage, and self-sacrifice. Wash kept checking the floorboards, and I just looked around the room, frozen with the truth. Wash ran in, holding a newspaper. " I've got it! Look at this."

I did. The headline for the page read, " Amy Grayson's death labeled suicide, murder weapon at large," and on the side of it in a neat little scrawl, the page said, "We love you, Amy. To whoever reads this, we're moving. The next spot, for we may move frequently, is 23415 on 47th street. Apartment 23A. Find us, help us, save us!"

Chorus

Bridge:

In the memory you'll find me

Eyes burning up

The darkness holding me tightly

Until the sun rises up

We ran from the apartment building, and raced down the paths, alleys, and sidewalks to get there as fast as we could. The building looked newer, and we both felt that it would be needed to get inside. The window said vacancy, so I'll go in pretending to want an apartment, and see if they moved. If they're still there, I'll make sure where they are, and we know what we're up against.

Moving all around

Screaming of the ups and downs

Pollution manifested in perpetual sound

The wheels go round and the sunset creeps past the

Street lamps, chain-link, and concrete

A little piece of paper with a picture drawn

Floats on down the street till the wind is gone

The memory now is like the picture was then

When the paper's crumpled up it can't be perfect again

I walked in, and the noise from the apartments caught me off guard. An old woman seemed to be the super for this building, so I walked up to her and started talking about the vacancy. " So may I take a look at it, please. "

" Sure, deary. Just make sure you don't make too much noise. It disrupts my other tenants."

Chorus

Bridge

" Which one is it?"

" Number 23C, Miss…"

"Maxine Hawking."

" Miss Hawking, it's on the 23rd floor, so I'd take the elevator if I were you… I have some more work to do down here, though, so I hope you don't mind if I stay here."

" Not at all. I'll be fine."

It was just the opportunity I needed. I got out of my expensive looking coat, and put on a hoodie that was in a tote I carried with me. I left my bag inside 23C, and walked over with a small stack of papers to 23A. After a couple of knocks, I watched as the door opened to two tall, young girls. " Who are you?"

" Is your mother home?"

They eyed me suspiciously." Are you a creditor?"

" No, I'm not wanting to talk to her. I just want to know if she's here. May I come in, please. I'd rather nobody else hear what I have to say, and I'm sure the few girls that I'm here for would mind terribly if this was overheard."

They still watched me cautiously, but I entered anyway, and brought the stack of papers out of my pocket. "I'm here for the Grayson girls. Are you them?"

"Yes."

" Then where's the third?"

"Hiding out near the lake. Why are you so curious?"

I pulled out the scraps of the diary that were of great importance and displayed them for the girl's scrutiny. "I found this."

Their eyes widened in shock as they saw their own script, but even more so as they watched me put on my sunglasses. " Don't you watch the news?"

" Are you really…?"

" If you're asking whether or not I'm a guardian angel, the answer is, no. but I'm a friend of your brother's, and we're here to get you out of here."

" Now?"

" No. Two days from now. We'll come for you. Midnight. We'll get the other one tonight. 'Kay?"

The girls seemed to be really happy now. " Yes."

Now you got me caught in the act

You bring the thought back

I'm telling you that

I see it right through you (7x)

Bridge (2x)

" Did you find them?"

" Yes. One of them is out on the banks of Lake Michigan, hiding. The others are fine. I told them the plan, they're getting ready. So far so good."

" Which one's out at the banks?"

" Dunno. Didn't ask. "

He started getting panicky, and we caught a cab to get to Lake Michigan. It is huge! It took us about 3 hours to find her, and she was wet and cold, too close for comfort to getting pneumonia. It was Lauren, and she ran after nearly getting killed weeks ago. We should've been there sooner, I thought. I walked her to the hotel we were staying at, and Wash went to go to the drug store, and to run a few other errands. " So why'd you decide to go to the beach?"

" I just… went. It was mostly on instinct, but I didn't think my mom would search for me there."

" What'd your mom do the night you left?"

" She found out we were calling Wash. She never liked any mention of either him nor Amy after the incident, and I was hit in the side with some glass after she smashed a glass on the counter. Then I ran off…"

" Don't worry, you'll never have to see her again, except maybe in court if we're caught."

"You'd do that, for me?"

Fang's POV

It felt weird, living with my family again. I wondered why, but nobody would think anything of it, just shrug it off as déjà vu. But something didn't feel right. And I felt that I knew what was wrong. It was right there in front of me, I just couldn't say it. I didn't know how, and that right there made ma mad as heck. Iggy had probably been the most helpful, telling me what things were, and, let's face it, he had more patience then anyone else, and he knew everything that was going on and told it to me flat out. It's what I felt I needed. To be told the flat out truth. They were all in the other room, and I was here, in the kitchen, eating a sandwich. I could here them talking animatedly, and I wondered what it was about, but I let it go, figuring that if it was any of my business that they'd tell me. Finally, Iggy came out, and grabbed my arm. " Come here. I gotta talk to you."

We walked slowly into a bright room with a huge view, and it had loads of pictures lining any wall space not taken up by windows. There was a table, bookshelves, a few chairs, and a couch, but there was another door that was nearly hidden, and, even though I had never been allowed in here before, I knew that something was important behind this door. " You need to know, since we're expecting her. But, see we haven't told you about the other person who lives here…"

"Who?"

" I…I… I wanted you to hear it from her… but…she's your best friend… and…well, we all knew… you told me when we were twelve, but… you were in love with her, and… up to and including today, you still haven't told her. the rest you just have to here from her."

" Who is she?"

He got rather upset, which was unlike him, and grabbed one of the photos and a mirror from the bookshelf behind him. " There."

He walked out of the room, more like stormed, and I sat alone in the bright room. Gazzy appeared a few minutes later, and handed me his iPod, saying, "Listen to these. Maybe they'll bring back something."

I got the courage to turn over the picture. In it was the most beautiful girl, she looked to be about 10 years old, and there were two boys in there, too, one looked like Iggy, and the other one was pretty handsome, darker than black hair covering over his eyes, olive skin, a cold, menacing grin that even still looked handsome. The others in the picture didn't notice much. He must have done that a lot. Then I looked in the mirror, and stifled a gasp. That boy in the picture was me.

Max's POV

It was almost five weeks since I left the flock last, and as soon as we got Wash's sisters tonight we were heading for New York. Wash and Lauren were ecstatic about seeing their sisters again, and inwardly I smiled. But I was worried. What would their mother do? Was she in there? Possibly awake? We walked to the apartment building, and Wash and Lauren stopped short. They couldn't get caught near this building, ro they'd be taken back to their mother, and beaten, again. They were understandably afraid, and I went on, unperturbed.

There was a fire escape connected to their windows; I know because I made a mental model of the building, and I started up from the bottom to get there. The moon was out tonight, which helped me see through the cold, and slightly smoggy air. I peeked in to the first window, and found one angry middle aged lady, who immediately opened the window, and grabbed my shirt, pulling me into the room.


	13. Spit It Out, Ig!

**A/N:** Hi! Thanks for all of you wonderful readers and reviewers! I really enjoy reading your feedback. FAXNESS is finally here! To answer curezen: Yes, I am taking some bits and pieces from "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer. I'm also using and twisting pieces from "Good Night and Good Luck", a movie, "the Prestige", another movie, " Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang" by Joyce Carol Oates, and my life. But not enough to fully credit any one source. Speaking of which, if anything in anybody's life sounds anything remotely like the lives of the characters described in this fanfic, call your local child services. Child abuse is not cool, people! Oh, and one other thing… I haven't been getting enough reviews lately, so I'm not updating until I get 87 reviews. That's 9 reviews to go. Much Love! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs. If I did… Well, it'd be something like this…

Max's POV

When we left off..

"I peeked in to the first window, and found one angry middle aged lady, who immediately opened the window, and grabbed my shirt, pulling me into the room…"

I was pissed. Nobody gets to treat me that way. I ripped her hand from my shirt. " Lady, I'm not here for you. So buzz off."

I was almost out the door when she threw a book at my head. She probably couldn't even read me the title, she was so stupid. Then she breathed. Correction: stupid, and drunk! " You little peeping Tom!"

Okay, it's midnight, and she's drunk, but do I really look like a guy? "Peeping, nothing. I know about Amy, bitch. And if you know what's good for you, you're gonna shut your face, and hand your kids over to be taken care of by people who can take care of them."

That made her furious and she lunged at me with something metallic, but I dodged it, and I turned her hand around so it wouldn't be aiming at me. She lunged at me again, unawares, and whatever it was plunged into her gut. She gasped for a moment, and fell to the floor. Great. She kept a journal, at least. I picked some of her best letters, and copied them. Not words, that was too easy to catch, but letters, and I wrote a letter saying, "I'm sorry, Amy. I didn't mean for you to die. I'm sorry for everything. –Rachel"

Then I wiped the place where my hand touched her wrist, and left to get the girls. They were in their rooms, quiet as church mice, waiting for me to get in there. " Sorry, girls. You need to unpack. Make everything look like it did 3 days ago, okay. Then go to sleep, and call the police in the morning. She accidentally killed herself, but you're going to say unassisted suicide, but not to anyone who asks. Just say that you went to sleep, and when you woke up, she was dead, then you called the police. Got that? I didn't kill her, mind you. I was just there. Came in through the wrong window. I'm just telling you this so that Wash can get custody and I don't go to jail, because, something that looks like that, when there was someone else in the room kind of kills my case. I'm sorry for your loss."

The I got up and walked out through the window, remembering not to touch it with my hands. When I got back to Wash and Lauren empty-handed, they were scared and angry. " Calm, guys. Rachel's dead. We're playing this one safe, and Wash, you'll get legal custody. Lauren, I need you to go in there and pretend you never left, got that? Or they'll think you have motive. Remember the 5th amendment, if necessary. We'll get through this. Wash, do you think you can handle this for a while? My 5 weeks are up, and I want to go see my flock."

" Can we see how long it's going to take for them to wrap up the case. Iif it's more than a week and a half, you can go. But otherwise I could use all the help I can get."

" Fine. I'll do it."

Wash's POV

I got a call from Deirdre the next morning, saying that the police were there and they needed help taking care of everything. They didn't think much of Rachel's death; to them, she was a killer, not a mother. But it's not as if they were going to say anything about that. Max and I got there, and we were lying, of course, but with Max talking, you couldn't tell. Take right now, for instance. She's standing there, looking straight into Officer…Gibbon's eyes, and unless you knew what the truth was, for all you knew she was telling her entire life story to you.

It's her thing, the lying, and her eyes are the major part of the trick. See, when people talk, or even just sit there, their eyes talk something of themselves to the world. Sometimes it's how they feel, what they think of somebody, whether or not they're telling the truth. It's all carried out by a series of twitches and movements of the eye. I'm skilled at reading them, so that's how I know to say that, truthfully, Max doesn't have that tick for lying. It looks the same as when she's telling the truth.

But anyway, the police said it was open and shut, so I talked Max into staying and helping me get the girls ready to move and get them much needed supplies. We got them settled in the hotel for a couple nights, and then on Monday of the next week, we went shopping for new clothes, and very good, durable sunglasses. It was all over the news, what happened, and I was getting calls for statements, etc. All I said was that I was grieving over my loss and that now I'd be taking care of my sisters.

Max really wanted to go back home, though, I could see it in her eyes. She knew something was wrong. Iggy didn't call at all, even though the 5 weeks were up. I wanted to tell her to go, but I needed her here. I have no idea how to take care of three teenage girls! Max said that they could move in with her flock, so they'd be taken care of, and I took her up on that offer. They needed to heal from what Rachel had done to them.

It was all over within 2 weeks, and I got custody of my sisters, and moved them up to NYC. They were so happy to finally get to see something besides Chicago. Not that they didn't like Chicago; they just wanted to see something new. For them, things would be a lot more than new.

Max's POV

This was apparently their first time in New York City. Like I was, when I first came here, they were jumpy and excited the multitude of sounds and stimulations too much for them to take in all at once.

I watched ruefully, knowing that this was where my family had fallen apart. I had gotten them a house up here at least. I'd gotten them transferred closer to home, so when the tour was over, I could work and support them, and we could try to be a family again. I just didn't know if I could take it now that we were one short.

I hailed a cab, and we took the yellow gas-guzzler from the city up to where the house is, north a ways from all the life and excitement. This new house looked modern, like the "E" house, back when we lived there. I really loved it. There are huge living spaces, and enough bedrooms and bathrooms that we weren't fighting over them. Plus, there's a gigantic kitchen for Iggy. I hope he loves it as much as I hope he does. My room was the most special. It was connected to a study/library, and a bathroom, the former having a glass wall and ceiling, perfect for looking out at the sky. It had had doors to the outside, too, since it was a ranch, and I could go out for night flights without waking Iggy or Angel.

I was out of the cab and helping the girls and Wash with the bags when I decided to call Iggy in that special way of mine. As soon as someone picked up I said, " Hello, do you mind opening the door? It's pretty freezing out here!"

Then I hung up and waited for someone to open the front door. And waited. And waited. And waited. In only the span of five minutes, I was transformed from the strong-willed leader and savior to the blithering, worrying idiot that I always despised. "Where are they? Why aren't opening the door? Did Erasers attack?"

" Don't worry so much. They're probably fine."

I turned around and was about to call the house again, when somebody opened. My breath caught in my throat as I called out his name, and my legs turned to jelly. He looked at me, dazed, and I stared back, shock seeping into my voice. "You… You're… You're dead."

I looked behind him to see the rest of my flock, complete with pained and worried looks on their faces, and then the one person I never wanted to see again. Jeb. God Damn! Angel glared at me, then the glare turned to an angelically pissed off look." Watch your language, Max. What's a little 7 year-old supposed to think when you curse?"

" They're supposed to think that I am mad at a sycophantic ba- butt head… Hello, Angel. I hope you mind, but I could really use some feeling in my limbs, so can we move this inside?"

As soon as I did, I was nearly tackled by three small mutants, while Iggy looked in my direction with apprehension, and then with a fear of betrayal and anger as he heard 4 more sets of feet cross the threshold. " Hello, guys… Ig, It's just Wash and his sisters. You remember Wash, right? His mom, umm… died suddenly, and he needs a place for his sisters to crash. So, I offered them a room here. 'Kay, Ig?"

I rushed and bustled with the help of Ig, Wash and Jeb to get things in order, and sent the kids to warm their bones with some hot chocolate. Fang just stood there, almost disbelieving, and I wondered why, but I couldn't bring myself to ask either. I couldn't think that he was imaginary, and I couldn't believe that he was here. It was just… overload. After things got settled, I went to my study, and I sat there, looking out at the beautiful stars that surrounded me.

It was hours before someone arrived at my door. It was Fang, and although I loved him more than I can describe, I didn't want to see him. " What do you want?" I asked tiredly, almost as void of emotion as he was.

"I came to talk to you. I want to know if you can help me."

" The great Fang is asking for help?" I said, unmoving, " I'm just joking, Fang. You know I'd help you with anything."

" Umm… that's what I need help with."

" I don't get it."

" I don't know that you'd help me with anything."

" Is it because I left a year ago? Because I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you all as much as I did. I really didn't."

I was out of my seat, and advancing towards him in a comforting, but curious, manner. " No, I mean I don't know anything… Iggy, come in here and help me explain this…"

Ig was in here momentarily, and Jeb was right behind him, the ass hole. " Okay, Max. You want to sit down, and start taking deep breaths. This is going to be a bit of a shock…"

" What? Why? What's going on?"

I was scared now, and I was backing up as Iggy and Fang advanced towards me. Fang kept standing while Iggy took the seat across from the one I backed into. I sat down as well, and stared into his icy blue eyes, now pooling with sadness, and regret. " I should have caught you and told you sooner. I should have said it over the phone. I should have…"

" Spit it out, Ig. I can't take this!"

Iggy lowered his voice. "Fang's got amnesia. He was dying. Angel woke him up, and that's how it happened. A few weeks later Jeb shows up at our doorstep wanting to help, but for a bit of a fee. All he remembers is what we've told him."

I raised my voice so that EVERYONE could here." Iggy, can I have a moment alone with you?"

He played along. " Sure, Max."

The others left, and anyone listening at the walls were gone, too. Being afraid of my crazy, but not brutal, punishments helped out when keeping things quiet. " Did you tell him…"

" No. that's for you to tell him."

" So what am I supposed to do, Ig! He's not even Fang anymore! He just looks like Fang."

" You guys were deeper than that! We were all thinking that with you here, he might remember."

" Then why is Jeb still here. I don't trust him. Fang didn't trust him. I don't want him here."

" He might have some ideas."

" And what about that fee?"

" It's small. We can handle it."

" He has three weeks. Then I'm doing an audit. Good?"

" Good for me."

" So he hasn't remembered anything?"

" Nope."

" Damn."

"So will you work with him?"

" Damn it, Iggy! I'm not a doctor! I… I'm sorry, but it's just a bit too hard to handle right now. I mean, let's face it, Ig. He's gone. Our best friend is done with a capitol "G"… I need a night flight."

Jeb's POV

I watched as my adopted daughter flew into the starry sky. I still love Max, mind you. In fact, her parent's death saved my life, but I couldn't handle giving my baby girl to some evil scientists. So I killed her parents and took her to America. Max is never to know any of this however. And she's also not allowed to know that I wasn't the Voice. These little comforts, besides my son, are all I can give to repay her for all that she's done for me, and although I intend upon taking Fang from her, too, it's all for Max. Yes, it's all for Max.


	14. Remember now?

**A/N:** Hi! Thanks for all of you wonderful readers and reviewers! I really enjoy reading your feedback. FAXNESS is finally here! I'm not updating until I get 90 reviews. That's 8 reviews to go. Much Love! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs. If I did… Well, it'd be something like this…

Mia's POV

Random seems to be doing better, but I can't tell for sure if it's the chemo or not. He's awful jittery lately, and I can't help but think that my brother is afraid of the treatments. I'm also afraid that if I ask, he'll resent me for it. There's also been some suspicious disappearances lately, and I'm afraid it could be that. I just…WAIT! I hear something… "YOU LEAVE ME ALONE! I DON'T WANT YOU TO TOUCH ME WITH THAT AWFUL THING. YOU… YOU JUST GET AWAY FROM ME…"

See what I mean by acting weird? He's afraid of everyone now, even Kayla, and just his words will rip her to shreds. I don't really want to do or say anything, though, because it might hurt him enough that he won't forgive me. I don't think I can handle that…Maybe…. No…May-… Yeah, that might work.

I walk into his room and sit down on the edge of his bed." Random… I know you're not asleep, Random. Come on and talk to me for a second. It won't kill you…"

Random's POV

I hope nobody notices that I'm acting different. I really hope they just forget all about me. I knew there was something different about me since the beginning. I just… knew. I knew… it was just a fact, that's all there was. I wasn't going to live to be old. It was saddening, sometimes it was frightening, but I just knew, so it never bothered me much.

Until I knew why. I got a note today, from this company. What's it called… What's it called!? ITEX! Itex, that's it! They said that I was a person who could help part of their research greatly, and in return, they'd pay for the chemo. All I had to do was allow them to help with their research, and not to tell Chase or the others. I said okay.

THAT was a mistake. I went through a real "hell week" where they came in during the graveyard shift and gave me this green-ish clear liquid. They injected it into the vein in my left arm, and then they left me to suffer, writhing in pain on my bed. "You have to stay totally silent…" that became my little mantra along with "Your doing this for Kay…" to get through the pain. I wanted to scream from the agony. It felt like I was going to explode, and the fire that ran through me was almost too much to bear. Whatever kind of liquid it was pulsed through my veins like a venom, and I waited for it to kill me. When I woke up the next morning, I nearly shivered, knowing just what exactly was going to happen at night.

And then, after they finished, I woke up with these things coming out of my back. I don't want things coming out of my back! Today I was finally good enough to walk, and I went to the mirror in the bathroom. I unfolded whatever they are, and I gasped. They were dark tan and brown WINGS. Well, if I wasn't a freak before…

Then a nurse came in, wanting to give me a sponge bath. I mentally cringed as I hurried to fold in my new-found wings, and when she came at me with the ugly little dead sea creature, I exploded at her.

She left, clearly insulted, and I sat back, fidgeting. What if Kayla wouldn't want me anymore, because I had wings? What if my family left me, disowned me, because of these? What did I do?

Mia came in flustered, shutting the door, and sitting on the edge of my bed, while I pretended to be asleep. "Random… I know you're not asleep, Random. Come on and talk to me for a second. It won't kill you… I just… I want to know what's going on with you. And don't tell me it's nothing. I've raised you since you were a kid, and I know you inside and out… INCLUDING what your diapers looked like." She ruffled my hair, like she always did. I didn't mind, but if I could avoid it, I usually did. " So what's up? Or is it just Random stuff?"

Do I tell her, and risk losing everything…should I… can I…I think… maybe… well, it's better sooner than later." Mia, back up, and sit down on that chair over there. I have something to show you."

Faye's POV

We were arriving at the airport to a city called Edmonton, Alberta. Fun. I just really wanted to see my god damn family right now. Get this over with. I had two days to be at the council. I had one and a half days to bring my old gang back together. I had one day to prepare myself. And I had 4 minutes to handle actually being here.

It felt strange to be home, to revisit all the things that made the earliest parts of my life special. It was awful thinking of all the things that made me leave this wonderful little town in the first place… It was… that night… those nights… I don't think I want to think about that at the moment. I need to focus on Nightfire.

Jack and I pulled up in a taxi to Goldie Jackson's house on North Maple Street at about 2 pm. She was the leader after that night, so it was only logical that she'd still keep track… " NO!"

The tall, blond 22 year-old was staring at me from the doorframe incredulously, and I put on my Nightfire face. " You gotta be kidding me."

" Nah, Goldie. I'm here. It's time."

Yeah, I thought to myself, it's time to go back on the promise SHE made to Cecil. See, like I said, I'm pretty different from the rest of the band. Jack was a middle class American, who lost his mom to a natural disaster, leaving him orphaned. Wash, well, he never said where he came from, making me think it was a good idea not to ask. Mia was abandoned by her mother at her grandma's house, where they lived peacefully. And Max had her troubles, and her flock. They were poor, on the run, and happy.

Me? I was rich. I mean filthy, stinking rich. I could do whatever I wanted and get away with it. My family was practically the monarchs of Edmonton. It was a life of parties, and friends, and luxury. It was also a life of crime, sacrifice, and passion, only, I was about 6, so I didn't know why they died. It was my uncle first, my dad's brother, then it was my mother, then my other uncle, my father, and then it was Charlie…

The shutting of Goldie's front door brought me back from my thoughts, and into the reality of her living room. It looked more like an office to me, a desk and a few couches were all that really fit into the small-ish space. My second-in-command, Goldie, flitted behind the desk to a file cabinet in her designer jeans and the tan Gap jacket I sent her for her last birthday. Goldie was Goldie, and that meant nothing less than couture. "So, who do we need? What are we after? Pulling another job? Live or dead? Where? When? How?"

"Slow it down there, Goldie. We want numbers, since we're up against Cecil. I want this to be over ASAP. No jobs, I've gone clean. Live ammo, G. It's always live. Mobs don't play with paintballs. We got 2 days, so we better make it good. Got that?"

" Have you ever thought of…?"

" Yes, and no. They won't accept that. They want me, not Charlie. Too soft, too weak. He's not one to get his hands dirty anymore. So, who do we got?"

She slapped manila folders on the desk between us, allowing them to face me. " Well, we got Speekers, Firefly, BigBoom, Princess. Seabiscuit. Slinky. Lips. Legs. B. Monkey. Sly. You. Me. Crazy Frog. Zoot. Panda. Wicked Fingers… anyone else you want?"

What about the 3 bears?"

Number one got the big sleep from her BF while on a trip in Ontario. Never stood a chance. After the funeral, the other 2 tried to go straight. Number 2 is working in a café in Montreal now, but number 3 found that this biz is 'just right'. Works for Cecil as a moll. But she'll follow you."

Jack took this opportunity to speak. " What in the hell is going on?"

Goldie answered haughtily, "Nightfire versus Cecil the Butcher and his mob. Molls included. Firefight. Live rounds. Winner. Takes. All."

Jack looked at me now, as if I were the stranger instead of Goldie. Well, comparatively, I was, but that didn't make me feel any better about it. " So… Where do I fit in?"

" You learn how to shoot their brains out, dumb ass!"

" G, I'm in charge here, so watch your mouth. You know I can have it removed."

Goldie gulped softly, and I started giving her orders for whom to call first, and gave Jack the cell phone to give a call to our old suppliers and informants. I was practically rambling when Goldie lost her patience and screeched, " Good God, Faye! We've all known this has been coming for ages!" then she let her voice drop to a cocky whisper, "They're already here."

20 girls, ranging from 17 to 24, walked out from their hiding spots, and don't hurt Goldie's feelings, but I already knew where they were, and I smiled, "Leave it to you, G…"

"It's good to have you back, Faye."

"Let's get started."

Max's POV

I had to be feeling something! I had to. You can't be this human, and not feel something! I hurled the paper into the trash basket, once again pissed that I couldn't write I stupid song. I was… I was... I don't know what I was beyond upset that I couldn't describe how I felt. I looked out the window and into the midnight blue sky. Then it all came at me. The words started flowing out of my pen before the tears could reach my eyes, and it felt better that I could somehow express these emotions before I exploded. I kept going until I finished, and looked down at the words in front of me:

I look at you again today

The light surrounds your gorgeous face

And I can't seem to turn away

But it hurts that I love you so bad

And it's makin' me sad

That only I can see the days

You cried, all over my shoulder

And I tried, but you can't remember

All the times, and you said that never

Was the time we'd turn away

Well, I know it can't be true

As they say, for me and you

Cause just too many cards ain't on our side

It's hard to say it though

But you already know

Just how hard we've tried

And you cried, all over my shoulder

And I tried, but you can't remember

All the times, and you said that never

Was the time we'd turn away

I look out now, to cloudy sky

And I bring myself to say goodbye

But I'll miss your sweetest kiss

And I'll cry over all those times

So I can't really try

At all to go and fly

And you cried, all over my shoulder

And I tried, but you can't remember

All the times, and you said that never

Was the time we'd turn away

Only, I'm the one who remembers

The times you cried, all over my shoulder

And I tried, but you can't remember

All the times, and you said that never

Was the time we'd turn away

But I can't even say

That I'll want you anyway

I started crying, despite my aversion to this particularly emotional reaction. I just sat there, sobbing, and I let it sweep through me as I got up to go to sleep.

I was taking this pretty well, I thought. I didn't let anyone know how much it hurt to see Fang, I didn't stop being the leader. I was doing well. They didn't have to know. It was morning, and I needed something to wake me up, so I turned my iPod to the Amerie section. The lyrics aren't the absolute greatest, in my opinion, but the vocals are beyond awesome. The first one that played was " take control", and that one was pretty energetic, but today, I identified more with then next song " Gotta Work" :

Sometimes it's gonna be days like this

Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this

Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this

Sometimes you gotta work hard for it

Because when u feeling low

And u can't get no lower

That's when u know your close

Sometimes u gotta work hard for it

Woke up in the morning

It's another cloudy day

But that never mattered too much to me

Cause its still a new beginning

And I know I got it in me

Had my share of ups and downs

But now I know I can do anything

Sometimes it's gonna be days like this

Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this

Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this

Sometimes you gotta work hard for it

Because when u feeling low

And u can't get no lower

That's when u know your close

Sometimes u gotta work hard for it

Some people think I'm aggressive

Cause I know what I want

But that never mattered too much to me

Show me some body with no goal

Show me some body with no control

Cause life is for living

So go and get it

When times get rough remember

Sometimes it's gonna be days like this

Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this

Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this

Sometimes you gotta work hard for it

Because when u feeling low

And u can't get no lower

That's when u know your close

Sometimes u gotta work hard for it

Oh gotta get it

Hey hey hey

Sometimes the road may seem too far

You never really know for sure

If you're ever gonna make it

Sometimes the end may seem so far

You never really know for sure

If u got the strength to make it

But u gotta remember

Sometimes it's gonna be days like this

Sometimes it's gonna be rain like this

Sometimes you're gonna feel pain like this

Sometimes you gotta work hard for it

Because when u feeling low

And u can't get no lower

That's when u know your close

Sometimes u gotta work hard for it

Days like this

Rain like this

Do it cause I love it

Feel like this

Gotta work hard for it

That one got me moving. I was up and out the door to my room, getting Iggy up as I went. Jeb was already up, and that bothered me for some reason. He was cooking, too, which made me more suspicious, but instead to doing anything irrationally, I sprung out the nearest window, and went shopping for some new clothes and a couple of presents for the younger kids. They were getting used to traditions and things like that, so they were insisting on Christmas. I don't know if they agreed with the religious part of it; I think they're just in it for the presents.

I came back with my few purchases a few hours later to greet several scared/ shocked faces. And Jeb. I didn't feel like talking to them, and I had presents to wrap, so I went to my rooms in silence. I just stayed in there, not even coming out when Iggy announced that dinner was ready. After I finished wrapping gifts, I sat on the little perch in front of the windows, staring wistfully out them and into the cloudy sky, wishing that I didn't feel the need to hide.

Fang's POV

I was worried about Max. I don't know why, but I did. She didn't come out for dinner, and she wasn't doing anything that I could hear, and that made everyone else jumpy. I don't think they've ever seen her like this, and I didn't think that was a good thing.

I walked into Max's living area and stopped short. She looked peaceful, for once, staring out at the snowy landscape outside. " Max…"

She turned to face me, and her eyes flashed from anger to pain. I noticed that she had been in tears, her eyes puffy and red and her expression bleak. " What's wrong?"

I came to sit next to her on the little perch she had next to the windows, but she faced away again to look out at the snow once more, " Nothing."

She couldn't hide her pain from me. I felt it roll off her body in waves, fierce and defiant. "Don't lie to me, Max. I know there's something wrong."

Her body shook as sobs escaped her lips. " I don't want to talk about it."

"Max…Max, come on. You gotta talk to somebody about this. You need to let somebody in. the Flock needs you, and not just physically, Max. You're shutting yourself…"

" You're telling me… that I need to be there… for them?" She looked pretty pissed off, "then go away. I can't stand the sight of you."

That stabbed at me; couldn't tell you why, though. " No, you don't. Not really…"

" You were always that stupid sexist pig…"

I cut her off, only to be cut off myself, "Let me try to help…"

" NO!"

" Why in the world not?"

" Only Fang gets to talk to me like that. Just Fang."

" if you haven't noticed, I am Fang."

She shook her head, and then Max got up from her seat and started pacing around the room. " No, no, you're not. You're not Fang. You're not my best friend. You're not the person I've grown up with, the person I… You're not him. You just… You can't be…"

" Show me, then. Show me who I am. Whatever you need me to be…"

" That's exactly why I won't."

I stormed out, and something flashed behind my eyes. It was me, and Max. We were in a house, but it wasn't this one, and we were fighting. I said something, she yelled at me, and shoved me backwards a bit. I shoved back, and immediately pain and guilt washed through me as she walked away.

Then the scene changed. Max was crying over somebody… Jeb… and I hugged her. Max turned and started crying into my shoulder, the sobs making her body shake violently.

The flashes kept changing, faster and faster they went, and I waited for them to stop so I could move. I just stood there, realizing that this was what I needed to remember. That big chunks of my life were just filling themselves in… " I remember, " I whispered.

A figure stepped from the darkness. " I'm afraid that's something I just can't allow."

Natalie's POV

I thought it's be weird, living with Max and her family, even though I was a year older( 16), but it was pretty cool. We had just started school, and I was really adjusting to the welcomed change in lifestyle. I really like the hybrids, now that I was getting to know them, and in most respects, they weren't that different from me.

Nudge, the overly-talkative one, seemed to be my best friend around here, and her over-zealous talking sprees give me time to listen, rather than answer the unwanted questions I face at school. I'm not that big of a talker anyway.

I can't really believe Mom's dead, to tell the truth. It's one of those things, you almost hope for it, you really WANT her to drop dead, but I can't help but feel like she's gonna walk through that door and beat the crap out of me.

I was in the kitchen, getting some milk since I can't sleep. I walk over to the table, but slink back into the shadows when I see Jeb across the room. For some reason, I just don't like him…. He seems… fake.

Fang walked in and stopped. He had just walked out of Max's room, and it looked like he was thinking about whatever they were arguing about. Actually, it looked more like he was having a seizure, the way he just stood there. Iggy and Nudge explained about what happened between him and Max before, and that the amnesia was driving her nuts, and I… I understood where she came from.

Anyway, Fang stood there for what seemed like forever, and then he smiled slightly, " I remember."

Jeb chose this time to walk out into the moonlight in front of Fang. " I'm afraid that's something I just can't allow."

Fang looked up, and whisper-growled, " You."

Jeb reached into his pocket and brought out what looked like a cell phone and a handgun. He started to dial as he pointed the gun at Fang's chest. I screamed as Fang lunged at Jeb, snarling menacingly. The gun went off without a sound, he fell backwards with a small yelp. I was about to run to him, but decided it was better that Jeb didn't know where I was. But even right after the shot, Fang's jeans were red with blood, and it didn't look good.

Apparently hearing what was going on, Max burst in, looking frightened and confused. She looked from Fang to Jeb, and back again, trying to figure out what had happened, but when her eyes hit the blood stains where the bullet went through Fang's thigh, her mind was made up about the situation. "What the hell, Jeb? What the hell were you thinking? You could've killed him!"

Her face took on a deranged quality, looking both surprised, angry, and vicious. Jeb looked at her and swallowed hard, " It's what's important. I need to…"

"Hell, no!" she brought her own gun from the back of her jeans, " Drop it."

Jeb did as he was told, but the cell phone started to ring, and he tried to reach for it, getting himself a snap-kick to the face. " Get out of my house."

"I need to…"

Max picked up the other gun, and he ran like a little girl scared out of her wits. Max turned and started attending to Fang, when I stepped out of the shadows. Max had already cut off the pant leg, and was using the cloth to press into the wound. I came over, and she switched with me to grab Iggy and the first aid kit. " Lift up… there. Now , hold it."

She came back in less than a minute, trailed by the blind wonder. Iggy went around, feeling the wound, and breathed, " God damn. Not again."

Iggy took the wads of cloth in his hand and pressed them on top of mine, making tingles run up my arms. Then the gravity of the situation pulled me back to reality with Fang's labored breaths. Someone could die, and I'm thinking about how cute some guy is! Nuh-uh. Nobody's dying today; Not if I can help it.

I pressed harder as adrenaline pulsed through me. Max wasn't doing much except making sure Fang stayed conscious, and I could hear her whispering to him, " Fang? Don't speak. It's gonna be okay. Fang. Fang? Just stay awake. Listen to me, okay? Just stay-"

"Max."

" Don't talk, Fang. Just stay awake."

We figured that after the hour and a half we've spent trying to get the bleeding to stop that it probably has scabbed over, so Max turns to us, " We're gonna move him to my room. I'll stay up, and make sure he doesn't get any worse. Besides, " she lifted his torso easily, " it's the closest. Got it?"

" Sir, yes, sir." Iggy saluted her, and I tried to suppress a laugh. Ig got Fang's legs, keeping them higher than his heart, and I rushed to get the door open for them. They laid him on Max's bed, and set everything up before leaving, and going to our separate rooms.

Max's POV

" Fang? Stay up, Fang."

I was still worried, even though it was several hours later. I was wondering, did this mean that Itex is back? Do I have to save the world, again? I didn't want to think about that.

Gazzy walked in with a small cell phone in his hand. " Where'd you get that, Gaz?"

" It was on the kitchen floor. Darn near tripped over it, too… Max, is it yours?"

" No. I don't know whose it is."

"Well, do you at least know how it ended up in our kitchen?"

" I think I can find out."

I flipped it open, where it said " Jeb's cell" in clear lettering on the screen. I went to the call records and found some suspicious phone numbers. I dialed the last one he tried to call, and after a couple of rings and screechy soprano answered the phone. " Lissa?"

" Who are you?"

" Guess. I just plain dare you."

"Who?"

" It's Max."

" You freaking stalker! Where'd you even get my number, you freak!"

" Jeb's cell phone, you moron."

A subdued " oh" flittered across the line, and I continued, "Can you guess what that means?"

"What?"

" You had sure as hell better move to Antarctica, cause that's the only place where I won't track you down and rip you to shreds," With that, I hung up the phone, and turned, again, to Gazzy. I told him to let Iggy take the phone apart and blow it up, since it might have a tracer or a bug, and then I went outside for a minute, to think. " Why was Lissa calling?"

" Don't worry about it."

Fang was standing in the doorway in only a t-shirt and boxers… " Fang! Get your ass back inside! You shouldn't be out here, much less out of bed! Good God, are you TRYING to kill yourself?"

He shrugged and went back inside, while I rubbed my eyes. Did I actually see Fang stay silent? Is he remembering anything? Maybe? The cold was getting to me, so I went to my room to warm up and think about what I just saw… only, Fang was there, waiting for me.

He picked me up, and practically threw me on the bed, coming over to lean on top of me, " You wouldn't believe it, Max…"

" what?"

My heart was speeding up, and I got this lump in my throat… could it be?... " I remember."


	15. Voice is back!

**A/N:** Hi! Thanks for all of you wonderful readers and reviewers! I really enjoy reading your feedback. I'd really like… I don't know… how about 100 even reviews? Sound good? Also, sorry for the shortness, and I'd like to let you guys know that I updated the Raine website. Check out my profile for more details cause I hate wasting space for Author's notes! Anyway, Much Love! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs. If I did… Well, it'd be something like this…

Jack's POV

Now, if someone can explain to me what exactly is going on, I'd sure appreciate it! I have no idea how to shoot a gun, I have no idea who, when, where, or why we're fighting, and I have no freaking clue as to why Faye said this was supposed to be a funeral. I came to help a band mate through the grief cycle, not to learn how to blow people's heads off!

But no, nobody decides to allow me to sit out. They say, " You, too, moll," and they drag me into the fray. Right now, we're at this mansion, if you could call it that. The grandeur of a palace and the size of a chateau, all found in one neat little package. It was covered in ivy, or moss, I couldn't tell, and the brick exterior made it look old and very important.

Faye walked up the stairs first, and talked to the guards stationed at the front doors, while I pushed myself closer to the center of the group, hoping to hide from any possible attack. Man, in two days time, they've already got me paranoid!

We were allowed into the house without objection, and I watched as the herd of beautiful, upper-class rebels around me stampeded up the front steps.

The front hall was huge! There were gigantic two-story staircases that elegantly curved down to the main hall, and behind it was another hall leading up to what seemed to be the main room of the house. This grand hall, as we entered, was filled with other men and women, mostly our ages, but with some older people sprinkled in. there was a small child, too, about seven years old, and I could only hope that this was not her daily life.

The people around us were drastically different as well. Instead of our jet black tactical equipment emblazoned with the gang symbol (a blue flame ring on the left arm with their first initial coming out of said flames), these people (mostly men) were wearing dress shirts (mostly unbuttoned… better stop here unless you want it rated M) and tight pants, while the girls wore a lot of barely there tops and very, VERY short skirts. They must be freezing, cause you can tell that that isn't a heavy fabric, and the Lord isn't the only one to know they aren't wearing underwear!

Moving on…at the front of the room was the leader, probably the "Cecil" everyone's been talking about. He was shorter than most of them, but still ad a commanding presence, and his dark clothes contrasted his crêpey, pale skin sharply. Faye walked up to him with Goldie, and knelt as if he were God. He lifted them up by placing his hands under their chins and raising them to their full height. Then he spoke, " Nice to be home, isn't it, Faye? I always knew you'd be the one to take the throne from your father. "

HE'S HER WHAT? Faye replied smoothly, " I'm not here to take the throne, Cecil. I'm here to renegotiate."

"You will take this throne. It is your duty to your family and your heritage. I have waited 34 whole years of my life to hand the throne down to someone like you and your father, now I've been lucky enough to get the opportunity twice, and I intend very much to take these opportunities, Faye. I'm not here to be disappointed."

" Nothing doing, Cecil. There is no way you can force me to. So start the trials, grandpa. That's all there is to do."

He didn't look happy, but he snapped his fingers and a tall, muscular man walked from the crowd, and stepped into a defensive stance. "' Hey, Faye. What's new? You haven't been around lately."

" Got you, too, huh, Matt? Figures." She went into her own stance, " Too eager to fight."

They started circling each other. " Too eager to focus on the challenge and not the outcome or the precursor. Not to focus on the people you fight for… or against. Too damn eager just to fight for fighting's sake. So long as they're good, and you're better."

In the blink of an eye the fight between what seemed to be two very old friends commenced.

Max's POV

Fang was still healing, but he's been doing better lately. And by that I mean the last 3 days. We're fast healers, remember? Anyway, we were sitting in my room, looking silently out the window. We've been pretty much silent ever since he said that he remembers now, and I have to wonder… HA! I caught him looking at me (again!), but instead of saying anything, I leaned on his shoulder and closed my eyes. For a second, everything was…still. Not that it was dead silent. But it was calm, everything was so slow, it just seemed still. Out of nowhere, Fang used his hand to lift my head and meet his eyes, which burned with so much emotion it was hard for me not to turn away. (CENSORED!!!! Just kidding!) He pressed his lips into mine gently, and pulled back, eyeing me furtively. " I have to wonder, Max. Did you leave because of me? Did I do something wrong? Were things going too fast, or too slow?"

" Fang! No…I was just… I was scared things weren't going to be the same. We weren't going to be the same people if we had stayed and settled down then, would we? I wouldn't be the same, and I was scared of it. I'm sorry."

" It's okay… I just… I had to wonder. You never did say goodbye to me… you just drove off…All that time, I was so scared that I had driven you away."

If that sounds like Fang to you, let me know. "Do you have a fever or something? Or are you turning into Nudge?"

He shrugged and lightly elbowed me in the ribs. We drifted back into our habitual silence again, and I asked him, " How could you think that it was going too fast?"

"Never said I thought that."

" You said you thought I thought that."

" So?"

" Why did you think that?"

" You were gone. I didn't know why. For all I knew, you could've fallen in love with an Eraser, and decided to run off and marry him! How could I not feel like and idiot and a fool when I watch you leave, and I don't even try to chase after you until it's too late?"

I was dumbfounded, but I kept my face as still as possible. Yeah, being near Fang a lot can rub off on you." You really did follow me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, but I got lost in Belgium, and then I figured if you were that scared of me, then it wouldn't do me any good to hear it to my face."

" How could I be scared of you?"

I got up, and went to the dresser in the other room, pulling out my pajamas before getting changed. Fang was still in the other room, practically staring at me, and I was starting to get a little self-conscious. " Come on, and get changed. You still have to sleep in here in case something goes wrong with the whole ' healing' biz. Hurry it up."

I went onto my bathroom and changed, only to come back and find Fang standing right in front of the drawer, some unknown expression deep within his eyes. I pushed past him, and climbed into bed, pulling the covers up around me. I rolled over and found Fang, still wide awake and staring. This was pissing me off now!" Would you quit that?"

" What? Breathing?"

" You know what."

" Fine, " he breathed, sending shivers down my spine, although it didn't help that it's December. _Maximum?_I nearly screamed. That's the first time in a while that Jeb's talked to me, so naturally I was a bit freaked.

_Stay awake for a second. Gotta talk to you… And MAX! Quit drooling over Fang. It's disgusting that I have to be in your head in the first place, but you're certainly not making it that comfortable! _

Shut up, Jeb. And go away, I've disowned you.

_Who said I'm Jeb?_

You did.

_Hell, no! I am NOT Jebediah Batchelder. If I were I'd probably die of shame! He doesn't even know how to dress, or, you know, keep his weight in check…_

I heard some grumbled curses at Jeb, and inwardly smiled. So who are you?It didn't answer. GREAT! (notice said sarcasm)

_Okay, how is it that one person can be so damn famous? Really, it's appalling. _

Why do you care? It's not like I try.

_It doesn't matter at the moment… Itex is back, just in case you haven't gotten the memo yet. I'm going to help in this round, I've also got a couple of deals to keep that involve several of Jeb's journals. Now, bring those journals, and yours and Fang's scrawny little asses over here to LA. We've got some major disappearances going on at their major hospitals, mostly pregnant women, babies, and child cancer patients. Can you handle that?_

I'll be there.

_Good. You've got 2 days._


	16. The Crazy Hectic Chapter

**A/N:** Hi! I know I've been lax in updating lately, but I was kind of waiting for reviews. I remember asking for one hundred, and that was only 9 more than I had at the time, but I only got 4. So, here's the gist of it, I write, and you review. Savvy? It doesn't matter how you feel about it, it doesn't matter what you write, just as long as it's feedback. Also, I know that What I Wouldn't Give is associated a lot with Max Ride, and I wanted to refrain from using it, but it fit so perfectly… so well, you'll see. And I'll try to update sooner than later. Much love to all who reviewed, and to all my faithful readers. You Rock! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Nor any of the lyrics in this chapter. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs, for that matter. If I did… Well, it'd be something like this…

Deirdre's POV

Okay, whoever said it wasn't going to be weird living with runaway hybrids was definitely on crack. I've been here, what, two weeks, three tops, and this is what happens. One guy gets shot, two people leave, and the other 8 of us who live here are left almost entirely in the dark. Not cool. Iggy is making lunch, and I have to wonder, why do they let him cook? Really, it seems common sense not to let the blind guy cook. But then again, in this crazy house, I don't see what isn't possible. " That's kinda the point, isn't it?"

The little blond girl, " My name's Angel, remember?" stared up at me, cheeky optimism gleaming from every orifice. Wonderful, did I mention the mind reader? Oh, well, you probably already knew that, didn't you? Because just about everybody else knows more about what's going on around here than I do, and sadly, nobody's gone about explaining things. " Wash!" I yelled, loud enough to wake everybody upstairs. Wash, who's probably the oldest one here, nearly fell down the staircase, and came to a halt in the doorway to the kitchen. " What's up?"

"Okay, what don't I know about everyone here?"

" Loads. Iggy, you want to help out?"

" No, man. I've relived that past a few times too many. I'm staying out of it."

What's going on? Wash sat em down and explained as best he could about the Flock, and what happened to them, etcetera. I was freaking out. And then Iggy came back and explained why he was the one left in charge, and what exactly Max and Fang were doing in LA. The phones started ringing, and I went to answer it, beating out the guys. " Hello?"

It was somebody named Graham. I put my hand over the receiver and said, " there's somebody named Graham on the line. Says he wants to talk to MR."

Wash grabbed the phone almost greedily, and started talking quickly into the receiver. I got my backpack and got into my car, letting Iggy know on the way out that I'm going to the library. Or at least I was until…

Faye's POV

I struck at Matt's chest, and the blow knocked the breath out of him, making me feel like I was pond eating scum water. Even saying that made me sad, actually. Matt and I came up with that when we were little. This whole situation made me angry too. Cecil promised me that he wouldn't let anything bad happen to my best friend, but no, Cecil gets what Cecil wants. I thought grandparents were supposed to dote on their grandchildren, not the other way around! Anyway, Matt placed a sloppy kick towards my gut, but I dodged him and caught his leg, jerking it up to pull his hip out of socket. Eww! I may be a tomboy, but seeing someone pop his hip back into place is still kinda disturbing. He got back up, and charged me again, so I landed a roundhouse kick to his throat, hitting that little bone, and making him inhale sharply. Then I took the handgun out from its holster, and used the butt of it to knock him out.

Cecil took his gun out from who knows where and shot me in the chest. It missed my heart, but instead it punctured a lung, and I gasped for air. Everybody looked at Cecil in shock. " I will not let you betray your family, Faye. I can't. If that means that I have to kill my favorite granddaughter, so be it. But you will not betray us."

I knew it. That was the warning shot. He pulled the gun back up to firing position, and I dove for cover. I needed to get to the balcony above this room. It two flights up the stairs, and it'll give perfect cover. I shrink behind a coat of arms as another bullet is fired at my person. " FIRE!"

Nightfire starts taking out the mob, who might I add is in the wrong attire for a firefight. They should know better. But that's not the point. I was almost to the stairs when I found Jack and a knocked out Matt. " Come on, Jack. Help me up!"

He did, and I scrambled to grasp the banister. When I did I started up the stairs, and that's when Jack noticed the bullet hole in my suit. " What happened?"

" Nothing, Jack. Just ignore it for now."

" But you're hurt."

" I SAID NOT NOW, DAMN IT!"

I got to the first landing, and stopped to turn my iPod on. I know, you're thinking, "What in the hell, she's been shot, she's dying, she has to kill her grandfather before he kills her, and her best friends are dying in the other room, so she's stopping to turn on her iPod!" Well, this is going to keep me going. If I just let myself think about what's going on I'm gonna just let myself die. And I can't accept that. So, like I said, I turned on my iPod to One X by Three Days Grace…

Do you think about

Everything you've been through?

You never thought you'd be so depressed

Are you wondering

Is it life or death?

Do you think that there's no one like you?

I was almost to the balcony now. It was getting so close. I pulled two guns out from their hiding spots, and the safety catch. This was gonna be a piece of cake.

We are

We are

We are

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

I made it up to the balcony, and was looking out at the scene below me. Nightfire seemed to be winning, and I felt a surge of pride. NO! Don't think. It clouds your ability to get things done, Faye! Jack had followed me; I felt his presence and turned to find him standing there, staring at me as if I was the enemy.

The life I think about

Is so much better than this

I never thought I'd be stuck in this mess

I'm sick of wondering

Is it life or death?

I need to figure out who's behind me

I aimed to Cecil's chest, steadied my hand, and pulled the trigger. He dropped like a stone, and I instantly felt the guilt that became the reason for my want not to get into this business. I aimed at his second in command, too, and my uncle fell to the ground. Dad? Would you be proud of me, for this? I'm trying… Uh-oh. I saw Cecil stir from what I thought was his deathbed, and he aimed and fired.

We are

We are

We are

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

It hit Jack in the neck, and he started to fall, but I caught him. " Jack! Jack, are you okay?"

That was a stupid question. " Do you feel anything?"

" No, I don't, but that's okay, Faye."

"No," I started weeping, " It's not okay. You got shot. And I gotta say this now… or I'll regret it. Jack, I love you."

I stared at him, hoping he was alive enough to give me an answer… or just anything…

The life I think about

Is so much better than this

I never thought I'd be stuck in this mess

I'm sick of wondering

Is it life or death?

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

We are the ones

We get knocked down

We get back up and stand above the crowd

We are one

We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd (Crowd)

(We stand) We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd (We Stand)

We stand above the crowd

Jack's eyelids started to flutter, as death began to take him away from me. " Faye," he laughed. How can he laugh at a time like this? " Faye, I'm gay. Wasn't the affinity for Chanel a hint?" And then he stopped laughing as his heart stopped beating, and the life of exuberance stopped being lived.

(We are the ones) We stand above the crowd

(We get knocked down get back up) We stand above the crowd

(We are the ones) We stand above the crowd

(We get knocked down get back up) We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd

We stand above the crowd

I made my way down the stairs, and the fight was still going around me, but I ignored them. I stood in front of Cecil's throne, and fired three shots in the air. It was the most basic code. One shot was "stop". Two shots meant "There's something else going on, so stop". And a whole three shots meant that somebody was dead and the fight has ended.

So everyone stopped and stared at me. " If anyone has any objection to me leaving this throne behind, let me know. That it? Good. Have a nice day."

Everyone else stood still with reverence as I walked out of my house for good. It was the worst day of my life, and that's saying something. I called up a taxi, and then I dialed for Max's house. She'll know what to do. If not, there's also Wash. He might know what to do…

Wash's POV

This is great. Graham is yammering at me about the next album, and I have no idea what to tell him. There's also something about "live sessions", and other concerts, and after a while, I just lost it on him. " GRAHAM! I have no idea at the moment. I'll call up the rest, and then we'll talk…"

" Wash! You have no idea what it's like telling the people hosting the Grammys that you have no idea where your band is, and or whether or not they're still a band. You have no idea what it's like no knowing if you guys are going back on contract, and I need things to get done musically, because, let's face it, you're a bit behind… Now are you going to find them right now, or what?"

" I'm already on it."

Gazzy burst into the other room. " Faye's on the cell. Something about Jack."

I ran into the next room, where Gazzy left the other phone, and I started to talk to Faye." Where are you? And what about Jack? You guys need to come back to New York, cause-"

" Jack's dead."

" WHAT?"

Okay, so I know I'm not great with surprises, but do you blame me? Stuff always happens like this when I get surprised. " I said, Jack's dead."

" I heard that. It was the exclamation meaning, 'what, that happened? Really?' So how did he die?"

" Shot."

" What?" I was starting to get snarky about the whole situation. " Never mind. Where? And does Graham know? Or better yet, does the police know?"

" Umm.. why do you ask?"

" Oh my god. I'm coming up there. Good God, two funerals! Any more and we'll start getting discounts!"

" Who died?"

" My mom."

" Oh, I'm sorry!"

" Don't be. She's a killer."

" Literally?"

Leave it to Faye to be weird at times like this. " No, " I said gruffly, " she's really a pony breeder in Detroit. Of course."

" Sorry, Wash."

" Just drop it. Where are you?"

" Just outside of Edmonton, Alberta."

And that is…? " A little less specific, please."

" Canada."

Oh. Well, you know what they say, ' When things get weird, go to Canada, land of the maple leaf'. " I'll be there…"

Célie's POV

Well, this was… interesting. And clichéd. Horribly clichéd. I finally find out that I have a twin sister, and what our names are, and so far, she's readily accepting me. Cliché number one. Then we think that we might actually be related to the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, we say something about it, and guess what happens? If you answered that several erasers erupted from the crowds surrounding the café, you're right. We ran/ flew away, and went to a hotel across the city. It just happened to be the one that Mia Bertani was at, waiting for any news of her brother, Random, who had disappeared the day after he showed her his wings. Yup, we were all at the same hotel by mistake…. Right, and I'm the queen of England. I'm still suspecting something.

Currently, I'm staring at the mirror trying to process all this information while I actually wake up from yesterday. I turn on the radio. It's a little new to me, seeing as I've only lived on my own for the last year or so, and even then it was pretty dicey. The song was 'How Far We've Come', by Matchbox Twenty:

I'm waking up at the start of the end of the world,

but it's feeling just like every other morning before,

Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone,

Fighting Itex means putting that first. I know that Max and I feel that way about it, and so I know I've got a good chance of dying. I'm at terms with it. It doesn't frighten me, but I have to wonder what happens after that, if anything ever does. I start to get today's clothes out of my pack, and then I repack my old clothes. Who would miss me? Would anybody really miss me?

The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour if that,

and started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye

can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?

I was always in the shadow of my sister. Is that how I want to be remembered? If I am, is that the imprint I want to leave?

But I believe the world is burning to the ground

oh well I guess we're gonna find out

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we've come

Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end

oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we've come

How far have I actually gone? I should really be going somewhere with my life. Maybe fighting Itex, not as a clone, but as my own self, maybe that'll help. That might do it… but what do I care how other people think?

I think it turned ten o'clock but I don't really know

then I can't remember caring for an hour or so

started crying and I couldn't stop myself

I started running but there's no where to run to

I sat down on the street, took a look at myself

said where you going man you know the world is headed for hell

say all goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to

I felt the hot tears run down my cheeks as it dawned on me. I'm not ready for this. I don't want to die, not when I've got so much to live for. I have a sister now. Someone whom I've only so many times, but I know her inside and out, and… this sounds so creepy and everything, but I love her. And I don't want to lose the only real family I've had. I actually have something real in this world, and excuse me for being greedy, but I want to keep it. Max knocks twice, and when I don't answer, she opens the door. I turn to her, and seeing my face makes her beamish one fade into a look of care and concern. And she thinks Fang can read her like a book…

I believe the world is burning to the ground

oh well I guess we're gonna find out

let's see how far we've come (right now)

let's see how far we've come

Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end

oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we've come

Its gone gone baby it's all gone

there is no one on the corner and there's no one at home

well it was cool cool, it was just all cool

now it's over for me and it's over for you

well its gone gone baby it's all gone

there's no one on the corner and there's no one at home

well it was cool cool, it was just all cool

now it's over for me and it's over for you

Max walks over and hugs me. It's an alien feeling, but I relish it nonetheless. " it's okay, Célie. It's okay…"

"Shut up, Max. You're being an idiot. An optimistic, carefree idiot. Don't you see how much we could lose by going through with this?"

I believe the world is burning to the ground

oh well I guess we're gonna find out

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we've come

Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end

oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,

let's see how far we've come, again

let's see how far we go

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we go

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we go

let's see how far we've come

let's see how far we go

let's see how far we've come

" Yeah, and I see the smiling faces of the people we'll save. I see the little kids who get to go back to their parents. I see the faces of the Whitecoats when I get the best of them… You might not be used to that, but you'll begin to like it, I'm sure. It feels good to be needed, even better to be wanted. So no matter what we lose, we have to know that not only was this our sacrifice to help others, but that most likely, we would've lost it anyway. Just this way, we feel better, cause we can say that we it happened for a good reason. So it will be okay, you got that?"

" Okay," I sniffled. I should be tougher, that's what. _Calm down, Célie. One step at a time._

Max's POV ( earlier in the morning)

I woke up in the room that Fang and I shared, and yesterday came flooding back to me. Everything about Mia, and Célie, and Random… It's getting a bit hectic again, but, call me crazy, I kinda like it. It's like old times, just with new people. Like a movie remake, only a little more complex. Fang was still sleeping, so I turned on the radio to wake him up. The song it was on quickly ended, and on came What I Wouldn't Give by Holly Brook.

Feeling like I can't forgive, but I want to

it's like I don't know how to live, I'm afraid to

I used to think take them as they come, without hesitations, no

now it's like my head is filled with lies, and persuasions

as the sun begins to fall I hear her calling out to me she's sayin' hurry it's one more day gone

what I wouldn't give just to forget

so I can remember how to live again

I wanna live again

I am feeling dissonant, and distracted

the toxic chemicals are spilling in my head and they're bleeding deadly reactions

and as the moon begins to rise he shows me all the colors that I'm hiding I'm hiding myself

what I wouldn't give just to forget

what I wouldn't give to get some rest

so I can remember how to live again

I wanna live again

am I desperately losing this fight

when I should really be choosing my flight

take me now

what I wouldn't give just to forget

what I wouldn't give to get some rest

so I can remember how to live again

I wanna live again

what I wouldn't give just to forget

what I wouldn't give to get some rest

what I wouldn't give just to forget

so I can remember how to live

I like the song. It personifies this new part of my life, and the parts to come, me thinks.

Speaking of the new, I better check on Célie. It's almost time to get going and check out that new School, or whatever they call it. I found her crying, and I went to her. Honestly, I don't know whether this all is real with her or not, but I hope to God, if there is one, that this is real. I feel so stupid for not seeing through Jeb's lies. But I also don't know if this is just another plot. It's all too confusing, and I don't want to get hurt. But she's still hurting right now, and she hasn't really done anything to me. And no, I'm not including her as the Voice, driving me crazy. I'm counting her, as in her, the person.

I try to soothe her, and I hope it worked because we got up, and made our way down to the lobby to grab some food. Fang joined us (we made a point of avoiding Mia for the moment), and we left to find the Itex branch nearest us…


	17. The one where loads is explained

**A/N:** Hi! I know that this seems to be going into a place where it's mostly about the OCs, and, let me just say, that now, since I know the ending, there is a reason for that. The ending will explain everything, I promise, so if there is something odd, or something that needs to be explained, go ahead and ask, and just rest assured that it well be mentioned in the ending. Which has a bit of a twist that I don't think you'll expect. So this is your only warning in that regard. I don't like repeating myself, and so if any of you don't read the Author's notes, shame on you! They're important! And, also, I'll try to update sooner than later. Much love to all who reviewed, and to all my faithful readers, plus a special thanks to Wally-West-Go-Zoom, aviator301, and turquoise.seas for helping with this, and other, chapters.Y'all Rock! MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs, and my plot, definitely my plot! If I that weren't the case… Well, it'd be something like this…

Random's POV

I woke up inside of a cage for the fifth time in my life, still hoping that it was all one long dream, and that I could wake up back home, now that the cancer is gone. But no, I'm still here, stuck in this cold, god forsaken place, waiting for more torture. Everyday, it's something. Races, mazes, tests, tubes, chemicals, needles, punches… sometimes it's all too much. Today, I'm guessing…races, definitely races. Against whom, though? I warily search the room, but nobody really pops out at me, so I'm guessing that it's not anybody in this room. The door opens to reveal a couple Whitecoats, and some Erasers. Not gonna let me go easy, eh? They grab my cage, and the one right next to mine, and throw me on to a trolley.

Soon enough, we're in the room with the maze. We have to beat the other person through the maze, without stopping, and if we lose, well, I don't know. I haven't lost yet, and they never let me see what happens to losers. The only thing I know is that it isn't pleasant. I can hear their screams and pleas even after they've gotten me back in my cage. I ready myself, and turn to look at my opponent, but the horn blows and I race off to get through the maze as quickly as possible. The other experiment gets ahead of me, and now I find myself struggling to catch up. I follow her, and the twists and turns get more and more complicated.

Finally, the exit comes into view, and I'm about to catch up to it, but it stops. It just stands there, and I know that the floor is shocking her feet, burning holes into the bottoms of its bare, and soon to be useless appendages. I keep running, even though now it looks dead, its head hanging almost limply. Come on, I think, don't die. You can make it through this. I keep on running, and I finally crash into it, the both of tumbling through the exit. I try to push my weight off it, just in case it is still alive, and I push the long hair out of its face, noticing for the first time that it's actually a girl.

Her eyes flutter, and they open slowly, making me smile. I had saved her. I was in time, and I was rewarded for it. She looked up at me, making my already beamish face grow to where I was afraid my face would fall off the sides of my head. The Whitecoats ran in quickly, ruining the little happy moment, and I got up, blocking them from her. They couldn't touch her. One of them, his tag said Jeb Batchelder, came up and grabbed my shoulder, thrusting me out of the way. He brought out a needle, and some other stuff, and…

Mia's POV

Okay, I got to Mami's house after running into Max and some others at the hotel. I didn't really want to see them. I didn't want them to see my pain. Random was gone now, and it hurt, but why would I want them to see that? To see that I'm weak, and in need of pity? Well, news flash, I'm not. I threw my keys onto the counter, and raided the fridge, saying a half-hearted "I'm home" on my way in. Five, yes, five kids came in, and looked at me with strange expressions." What? It's me, Mia."

Great! Now I got bombarded with hugs to the legs, etc. These were my new siblings, the ones mom so graciously dropped off on her way to see Random. The oldest of this batch is Ash. He's nine, and quite the athletic little guy. He loves soccer, and gets along with Chase really well. So does Liam, who's eight years old, and he really loves video games. Then there's Kaylee and Alex; they're five, three years older than Laurent, the youngest. Mami and Aurelie have been taking care of them for the last couple days, and I'm here to give them a break from it.

Aurelie is heavily involved with this guy named Mike, and they're talking about moving in together, so she needs to spend some time with him, to make sure she really thinks that it's a good idea. That's Aurelie for you, jumping into things, and then seeing just how far she actually thought it out. At least she knows this and is using that as part of her decision. Mami's getting old, too, and it's unfair for her to have to take care of all these children, especially when they're barely related to her and to themselves. Only the sets of twins, and Random, Chase and I are whole siblings, and you can tell.

Some of us are different skin tones, and we have different faces, and voices, and everything. It looks to the outside observer like an orphanage more than it does a house with a whole bunch of family in it. Oh well, it works for us. Aurelie passes me with a small smile as she takes the keys to the old Audi and heads to the garage.

I get up from the barrage, and start making breakfast when Chase gets to the kitchen. " Any news, Mia?"

" Nope. Your brother got himself good and lost."

" He didn't get lost. We both know that wasn't him."

" Sadly, that's not what the police think."

" Well, tell them they're wrong."

" I'm not about to go up to people with guns and tell them that they're wrong about anything. I'm sorry, Chase, but there's not much we can do here. Besides, even if we did find him, he won't be the same."

" What in the he-ck do you mean by that?"

" He didn't show you?"

I said something wrong. How do I know? Chase, who's probably the calmest person I know, is furious, and at me. " Show. Me. What?"

" The w-i-n-g-s. Didn't he tell you? He showed me the day he disappeared. So I can't tell if was him or not. Now, if you really want, I'll drive you up to the police station, but nobody will believe you, or me. After that, all I can do is call up the only other people I know that have… them, but I don't know how that'll work. But I'll try, okay, Chase?"

" Good. I'm taking you up on that."

The phone rings in an ominous manner, and I rush to get to it. It's Wash surprisingly. " Hi, How do you know this number?"

" Faye knows it, and I'm up here in Canada with her. We've got some important stuff to go over. Is Max there?"

" No." Now I'm worried. Why would we all need to be there? " She off with two other people, doing who knows what."

" Damn! Jack's dead… no don't panic. It'll be okay. Now, the Grammys are coming up in 10 days. We've got a couple nods so far, and so we HAVE to be there. I'm working with Faye to get burial, etc. GET MAX. Tell her the news. And find her fast. She's off trying to take down Itex again. And the people she's with, what do they look like?"

" One of them is a man, tall and dark, and brooding. Kinda scary, in all honesty. The other looks exactly like her, and she's called something like Célie. I don't know how either of them know her…"

" The guy's Fang, her best friend. The girl, well, who knows. Anyway, the three of them are trying to take out Itex by themselves, and we can't lose another member of the band right now."

Well, how exactly am I supposed to find somebody who's trying to take out an evil company based on destruction and world domination?

Random's POV

We were back in the cages, finally. It'd been scary for a second, I though Jeb was gonna kill that girl, but he just was trying to keep her alive. Now she was in the cage next to me, and I smiled, again. Usually I wasn't such a beamish person, but today I seemed to have gotten into the habit. But something irked me about her… " What's your name?"

" My name's Delilah."

She pulled something out of the pocket of her hoodie. It was an MP3 player. She offered it to me." You want to listen to it? I was about to, but I remembered that there's only one song on there. So if you want to listen to that, it's fine with me."

I accepted it, but I was still a little suspicious. " How did you get this?"

" I ran away to America to find my aunts. My dad's sisters. When I got here, I got mauled by a bear, and I ended up in the hospital. I think I was flying over Detroit that day… moving on, Itex picked me up, cause I already had wings, and one of the nurses alerted Itex, so here I am."

" Who are your aunts?"

" Well, one of them you might know if you've heard the band Raine. But the other one has been hidden from the world for a long time."

" How did you get the wings then? Nobody in Raine has wings."

" How do you know that? Cause whoever told you that is a liar. My dad was their older brother, and he met Mom before my aunts were born. They had me when my aunts should have turned one, but they had disappeared a few days after birth. I was born with a genetic disease, and the only way of treatment was through Itex. They gave me the wings, and tried to keep me for experimentation, but Dad wouldn't let them keep me. We've lived in hiding ever since. Dad came in to Germany to investigate the missing persons claims connected to Itex after Maximum Ride took it down with her Flock. That's when he found out about his sisters, Sophie and Célie. They're twins, and he's been trying to track them down ever since. But the new Itex caught up with them… he's dead, and so is Mom. I ran off, trying to escape them, and I ended up here… So how did you end up here? And how do you know the people from Raine?"

" My sister's the guitarist. And I had leukemia. They offered to pay for the chemo if I allowed them to perform a couple tests. My grandma didn't have enough money to pay for the chemo by herself, so I agreed. That's how I got the wings. I blew their cover, and they took me here. So which one is your aunt? Faye, or MR?"

" MR. And then there's Célie. Identical. Wish I could find them, but I can't. Not here, anyway…"

She looked tired, and so I resigned myself to listening to the MP3 player. It had more than one song on it! There was the entire Catching Falling Stars album, along with the Fallen album, some of The Open Door, Them vs. You vs. Me, Like Blood Like Honey, One X, Good Girl Gone Bad, Riot, Exile on Mainstream, and, my personal favorite, Something To Be. I set it to play something random, cause that's how I am, and on came "Good Enough" by Evanescence:

Under your spell again.

I can't say no to you.

Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand.

I can't say no to you.

Shouldn't have let you torture me so sweetly.

Now I can't let go of this dream.

I can't breathe but I feel...

Good enough,

I feel good enough for you.

Drink up sweet decadence.

I can't say no to you,

And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind.

I can't say no to you.

Shouldn't let you conquer me completely.

Now I can't let go of this dream.

Can't believe that I feel...

Good enough,

I feel good enough.

It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good.

And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall.

Pour real life down on me.

'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough.

Am I good enough for you to love me too?

So take care what you ask of me,

'Cause I can't say no.

I think that's how I really feel about Delilah. I don't think I can say no to her. Does she like me? The way her face shines through the bleakness of this hell just makes me happy to be alive, and even weirder, here. I want to wake up the next day, if only to see her face smiling at me. Should I feel this way? Is this healthy? No, probably not. And I have Kayla. I love Kayla… but who knows if Kay can accept the wings? What if Kayla can't handle that? And I don't love Kayla in the same way that I have feelings for Delilah. Uggh, this is so confusing! Can't you love more than one person? I guess not. And when will I ever see Kayla again? Really? Is it ever going to be the same ever again? My guess is no, and for some cynical reason, I'm thinking that that's most likely.

A red headed person about 16 years of age walked into the room, and she knelt down in front of our cages. She smiled evilly, and then she spoke, " I'm gonna need you to come with me. You see… I'm not letting this place go without a fight, not even to your puny little relatives. Not Max, not Mia, not even the God damned president of the United States is gonna take this place and tear it to pieces without losing something. So… now you know about what's going on…" She turned to some Erasers in the doorway, " Get them and take them to the field."

Max's POV

I was walking through the streets, having, guess what? No clue. Nope, absolutely no clue. None of us. It'd be easier with a mind reader. There'd have to be Erasers or somebody around here who'd know where it is. '"Do you know what it's called?"

" Nope. All I got was that there was one from my informers."

" What source?"

" Some of the others that escaped from Germany. They decided to keep with Itex, to see where things were going with the scientists. They…"

" Names?" Fang inquired, starting to look a little ticked.

" Umm… I don't their real names, okay? It'd be easier if we just went to them, but…"

" Our last communication ended with a couple gunshots, and plus, they weren't even in this country. They were in France, or somewhere near there."

" Oh, so basically, we're screwed?"

" You're so cheerful, Max, you really are."

" Thanks, Célie. I love you, too."

" Don't lie, Max. I can read your mind."

My cell rang (I know, us hybrids are so technological these days!),a nd I answered it immediately. It was Mia. " Hey, Mia. What's up?"

" You gotta come to Canada."

" I know we want to, love, but don't you think it's a little soon to be doing things?"

" QUIT JOKING, MR! THIS IS SERIOUS!"

" Sorry, Mia. Didn't know."

" NO! YOU DIDN'T! And so of course that excuses you from everything! Cause you're MR!"

" Whoa, Mia! What's going on?"

" Oh, I don't know! My brother's missing, the Grammys are coming up, and oh my god, Jack's freaking dead. Yeah, you'd say we have a bit of a predicament. But no, everything's just PEACHY!"

" I'll be right there, Mia. Where are you?"

" Currently? I'm on my way to freaking CANADA!"

" Oh. I'll meet you there then. What city?"

" Some place called Edmonton, Alberta. Or at least I think that's what it's called."

" Okay. Okay. Don't worry, I'm coming."

I hung up, and turned to Célie. " Keep looking, and try to find out the identities of your sources. Fang, stay with Célie. I'll call you when I get there."

And with that, I flew off into the sunset.

Nudge's POV

I had turned on the news when they started playing the traffic reports, now normally, I don't listen, but something, something made me focus when the reporter began to speak of recent accidents. One was on the main road, only about a mile from here, with something that looked suspiciously like the truck Deirdre drove. Wash isn't here, but maybe… " Natalie! Natalie, come here!"

She came down, and sat on the couch next to me. I pointed towards the photo they were showing of that accident, and her eyes went wide. "That's D! Oh-OH MY GOD THAT'S D! OH MY GOD! THAT'S MY SISTER!" she screamed as I turned the captions on.

We need to find out if there were any casualties… and… nope, she's in critical condition in the local hospital. It's not good, but considering the twisted up metal that used to be her truck, she's lucky. Really freakin' lucky. I rushed to call Wash, and well, he flipped. If all this stuff wasn't happening at once, it might be easier to take, but still, don't kill the messenger, dude.

After that we called the hospital to check on her. The doctors say she won't be able to walk again. So, again, really lucky. Natalie and I stay up, thinking all this stuff over, and hmm…. There's gotta be something we can do about this… Oh! That's it! The Grammys are coming up, and I know Raine's manager is going to want them there… but Jack's dead… so we find them a new drummer…No, I don't know how to do that…. But I can fight. I can help them out, and with my computer skills, I can locate any other Schools. I can be a part of this. Iggy can take care of the rest of them.

Faye's POV

I'm all in black as I stand in front of the casket, speaking to everyone about Jack's life. They thought we were the closest, that's why they let me speak. Only the band came to the funeral, mostly because we were all he had. He didn't have family, the foster parents didn't care, so what happens? I care about him, and then I kill him. Great job, Faye. You're so wonderful at wrecking your own life, so why don't you ruin everyone else's! Anyway, they thought we were the closest. They were so wrong. I finished my speech, and placed the red rose on his casket while two men from the funeral parlor set the huge mahogany box into the hole.

I wanted to cry, and not just because I missed Jack. It was… did I fail? Was it because of me that Jack's gay? Was I not good enough? He couldn't have just… not told me, could he? I wanted to scream, the sadness and frustration roiling within me. Even if it wasn't my fault he's gay, it's my fault he's dead! How can I live with myself, seeing the blood on my hands and the light in his eyes fade to black? I felt like throwing myself into the abyss of the hole, next to Jack, and just to stay there. Let them bury me, too. Let them kill the killer.

We went back to the hotel, and I couldn't feel like moving. I didn't want to do anything. No eating, no sleeping, nor talking. It wasn't the same. It just… it couldn't be. Not without Jack.

Max's POV

Maybe that silly Twilight novel is what caused it all. It would explain why Edward was in there, when I don't know any "Edward"s. But it was so weird. There was this really stern lady who kept telling me that I couldn't be saved because I liked Edward. And then I had to jump into the back of a moving van… from three stories up. Yeah, weird.

But what I heard upon waking was even more surreal. It was a man, two men, talking to Faye. She hasn't said anything, or done anything, since the funeral. Don't ask me why, but she hasn't. And I heard the one say something so absurd, " Faye, I know, I know, this is all my fault, but kid, Cecil wouldn't let me run this for a reason. You think I can run it now. It was a miracle that I lived past your seventh birthday. I can't risk it. Besides…"

" What is it, Charlie? I'm currently busy moping over the death of a gay guy I fell in love with… Yeah, talk about logic… Look, Charlie, I can't even take care of myself, so how am I supposed to take care of you? I can't. I just can't."

What the heck? Oh, well, this might explain some things. I kept on listening as the second man started speaking, and I moved to put on the hoodie that was on the chair across the room. " Faye, can't we even talk you into staying… maybe?"

" MATT! I already told you. I never wanted that life. I never wanted to lose in life as much as my dad had. I couldn't deal with that. And now my friends are dead. You didn't know them; they were just opponents to you. They were people to me, Matt! I knew them; I knew their families, and I now have to tell those families that they're loved ones are dead, and that it's because of me…It's the difference between you and me, Matt. I'm not sorry. I just need you two to go. I just need to move on."

I crept up behind the whole scene, motioning for the guys, who could see me, to not say anything to Faye. " So, these guys want to stay with us?"

" Max?"

" No, I'm the Tooth Fairy. Are you going to answer my question or not?"

" They want to, yeah."

" Can either of them play drums?"

"No."

The one who wasn't in the wheel chair spoke up. " I can… but I'm not the greatest."

" Can you be the head of security, then?"

" Sure."

" Welcome aboard."

I smiled at Faye, and winked, and she had to cover her face to keep from shrieking with rage. I know, I'm a pesky little bugger, but I'm trying to keep this running smoothly. And if we don't have security people now, people are going to think that something is up. So, I'm trying to save our asses from tabloids. You can thank me later, Faye.

I walked back to my room, and promptly went back to sleep.

Nudge's POV

Okay, I can't be totally silent. I accidentally woke Total, who woke Angel, and Gazzy was already up, but he insisted that he be there to protect Angel. So now, here I am, leading a group of kids into almost certain doom. I feel like Max, only without the Voice.

We were up at about 26,000 feet, and we're heading to California, to the School. Angel, being the youngest, and having the least stamina, started drooping, and I decided to have us land in that clearing, about a mile away. It looked safe, but I found that wasn't really the case. We found a lot of blood, some in splatters and pools, and I found a small knapsack. On the inside, it had a note to explain who this belongs to, or something, but I couldn't tell really, cause it was in French. But when I felt it, I saw the girl, crying, and shoving the small bent journal into her knapsack, and turning to fly into the sky... FLY? I kept searching. I watched her come to America, and then… Ouch. She got mauled be a bear.

I heard Angel try to reach me, but I shrugged it off, trying to dig deeper into the past of this object. And that was when I felt something hard connect with the back of my head, blackness welcoming me.


	18. Benoit's Journal

**A/N:** See chapter 17's author's note. I'm too lazy to write another one. MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs, and my plot, definitely my plot! If I that weren't the case… Well, it'd be something like this…

The journal of Benoît Bonaparte, translated to English By Delilah Bonaparte

7/28/07

I was one of the first on the scene. I, Alex, as I am called be the Germans who can't pronounce my name, was part of the InterPol faction working on rooting out these criminals. It was 2 days after the actual destruction of Itex, and now that it was declared safe to enter, it was my job to locate all the records of these experiments, and to try to trace the families of all living and dead ones. They needed to know. I wanted to know.

I knew that my sisters were taken. I didn't know by whom, but both my parents were dead because of it. I was only 19 when they were taken, and now, being 33, with a mutant kid of my own, I know exactly what these families must feel. The fear, and hope, and uncertainty are as much a part of me as taking a part of my soul.

I guess it was sentimental reasons, after all. It must have been the sentimentality that my boss wishes I could only avoid, but I volunteered to go through all the files. I looked at all the files, and all the photos, all their deaths… and then I came to the files of Maximum Ride. She took up quite a bit of space in the filing cabinet, and there was something odd about her files.

There were two people in her files. They were identical, but you could just tell the difference. The scientists would take photos on the same day, one girl would be down trodden and gloomy in the confines of what looked to be a dog crate, and the other would be high up in the air, usually with five or six other creatures, and a lot of the time they were close-up pictures, with her moving very quickly, some of the pictures were blurred, with something I can only hope was a combat boot.

Then I got to the history portion of their file, which I found even more fantastic. They were from Corsica! Their names were… why can't I think of them… Sophie and Célie. That sounds familiar… why? Oh. Their my twin sister… well, WHAT? And I thought it was weird that I have the same last name to Napoleon (no relation)! Well, that explains a lot. I guess… no, I can't have Delilah go after them. And I won't track them down… But I'll set up a database for people to find their lost ones.

8/05/08

I had the program almost set up. This was going to get interesting. Well, more interesting to being related to three hybrids, two of which are the most important people on the planet. I was sitting at the computer when Akira came up to get me. " There're people at the door for us."

I walked with her to the door, and found that it was none other than terBorcht and the Director. " I thought they had you put away."

" Your puny little sisters can't stop me, and neither can you. You will stop your program, and shut it down within 2 months, or I will use your skin for prototypes of the new and improved Flyboys. Got it?"

I nodded, biting my cheek to not open my mouth, and say how I really felt about it. Knowing these criminals, they'd do anything to stop whatever was in their way, and my family needed me. The Director turned to a teenaged girl, about 16 in fact, and leaned down the few inches that were necessary to make eye contact. " Let's go, Lissa. We need to rebuild in America now."

The trio went into the forest, and then I could see the small shape of a helicopter flying off into the distance… If only I knew then that it marked the destruction of the world.


	19. Armageddon Approaches

**A/N:** I know this is short, but I had to get things in place. The next chapter is the end people! YAY! See my profile for details on the next possible one. It's a parody, and use the poll on there to tell me what you think. Umm… also, to the people who are really, truly confused, sorry, but it'll all be explained in the next chapter. I promise. And also, you know the drill, read and review! I want 112 before I update again, and I'm not settling for anything less, so if you want to have things explained, review. Much love, and thanks to Wally-West-Go-Zoom, aviator301, turquoise.seas, and anonymouse13, for your ideas, suggestions, and much needed help. MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs, and my plot, definitely my plot! If I that weren't the case… Well, it'd be something like this…

**Summary:** Max and the band, in this time, have gone from Canada to NYC, to get back to business. The Grammys are coming up, and everything's in a rush. Fang and Célie are looking for leads into where Itex is. Nudge, Gazzy and Angel have been captured by the School, and are now with Random and Delilah. Iggy is trying to help Wash's sisters with the crash…

Graham's POV

Oh, my god. First the Grammys are coming up, and the rookies get a couple nods, then their drummer's dead, then they're in the tabloids, they get a security chief… These people must have something going on that they're not telling me! Good God, do I look like an idiot to you? Why am I asking you anyway? Hmm…. It's not like you can answer back. Oh, well. My career is tanked. And it's all for a group of rookies with some talent and a dead drummer. Fun.

I meet them in the studio for recording their next album, but then I got the memo that "Oh, we can't, cause our drummer got shot in Canada where supposedly Faye's grandpa died, but he really didn't until after she got there."

Yeah, that's what everybody loves to hear. " I'm in dangerous waters with you four as it stands. Can you guys make it through the Grammys, AT LEAST, before you screw everything that you've worked for?"

They all muttered agreeing noises, but that wasn't anything definite. I wanted straight forward answers form them, and I wasn't getting any. I mean, really, what is the deal with these people?

Nudge's POV

I woke up at the School. Whoopee! Big surprise. Sorry if I'm a bit snarky, but today hasn't exactly been my best. Good news, though! I held onto that book. and I'm digging deeper into the origins of it as we speak… hmmm… that's well, interesting… I DID NOT WANT TO KNOW THAT, MISTER! EWW!... Never, ever ask what I just saw. I will NOT tell you. But something tells me that this is somehow important. Maybe it's the French stuff in here… " Hey! What are you doing with that?"

Oops. There was a girl about Max's age, maybe a bit younger, and she looked at me with this betrayed/ hurt look drowned in fear and hatred. And she looked like Max, too… " Max?"

" Who are you talking to, kid? I'm not Max. I'm looking for a Max, though. You know any people named Max?"

The girl slapped her forehead in an "I shouldn't have asked that question- OF COURSE she knows a Max" kind of way. I watched her some more, and then I just felt like relaxing a bit before I'd have to start kicking Flyboy butt again. And that's when I noticed that we were in a courtyard, eerily reminiscent of the Itex headquarters. Then a loud voice blared through the speakers, that I, being blind as a bat (or an Iggy… or a blind guy…sorry, back to the story), just now noticed. If Max were here, she'd have noticed that already. I should have noticed that already. _Angel,_ I thought, _can you tell me who the new people are?_

_Well, the boy right across from us is Mia's brother. You remember Mia, right?_

_Yeah. Go on._

_The girl right next to him is the owner of that backpack… and her name is… Delilah. She's related to somebody in Raine, too. Wow. Ain't that a coincidence._

" It's not that much of a coincidence, Angel. You're all here because of that. Little. Fact." Lissa punctuated the staccato sentences with a step down from her seat in the stadium seating. "And no, Angel. I can't read minds, but we have yours hooked up to a computer… which delightfully displays all your thoughts up onto that screen."

Lissa pointed to the screen above our heads, where it proudly proclaimed " Nudge thinks Lissa is a !$&". And, well, that just proves it. The idiotic redhead beat at the side of my cage, and said some things, which I will not repeat, and I, for the millionth time, wished I could be out of this cage to beat that witch to a pulp.

Jebediah Batchelder's journal

This way of communication is incredible! I've never seen twins so connected to each other. The little one, Célie, she's the one who really controls the connection, and she can manage it so skillfully. We've also found that she can send pain signals to the brain, even over long distances. It's truly, fully, almost inexplicably amazing, and I can't wait to harness this.

Maximum is doing beautifully well in handling her Flock, and it seems the mothering instinct is strong in her. Now it's time for her hardest test. The one she's never expected to live through. She has to handle the Flock, and lead them through dangerous situations and territories, and to live. If she's successful, she'll be the leader of the world. The Director has already selected her as a possible successor, not it's time to prove her worthy.

That prat, Lissa! She's making a mockery of my experiments! Why did the Director send her daughter here? Was it only as a distraction to the Flock? Or is it just Lissa being stupid? Why she had to kiss Fang in front of Max, I'll never know, but now I have to have the girl speed things up with Maximum. This is all causing a great deal of trouble.

After that whole incident of Max vs. Omega, Lissa has been chosen as the successor to the Director. Wonderful. Not only do I dislike her destruction of MY experiment, but now she has to oversee all my experiments, and potentially ruin them, too. Omega had to have gotten a conscious, didn't he? Well, he did, as hard as that is to believe. And even though I told him he didn't know enough about the outside, he tried escaping anyway. And died. So now that's two sets of experiments ruined. And all by that prat who's now my boss. If anyone finds this funny, I hope you die slowly and painfully.

The journal of Faye Baker

I turned 6 and 1/2 yesterday! I can't believe it! Charlie said I'm gonna go to public school soon, too, since I'm such a big girl. I'm so happy that Charlie's here. Mommy and Daddy went away, and Charlie said that they had to, but that they still love us, and that he's still here to take care of me. I hope he does. Charlie's so funny, and he plays with me, and makes me laugh. And when he has to go, then I get taken care of by Uncle Mike, and I don't like him. He has this big scar across his face, and he's all mean. So I always annoy him, asking for Charlie.

Charlie nearly died today. Why did it have to be the day before I turned seven? Or ever? He was at work, and then Uncle Mike got a call from the hospital, and took me over there. He was in there, and I couldn't go in and see him for hours. Made me so mad! And then when I did see him, they said it was a lucky thing he was alive. He kept screaming at them about his legs, and he wasn't funny or happy, like he is. I started crying, and that only made him yell harder… I finally blacked out, and when I got up, Charlie was looking over me. But he wasn't happy. Did I do something wrong? He's only ever angry at me when I do something wrong. And then he told me he couldn't play with me anymore. That made me even more angry! He always plays with me! He HAS to play with me! He said that he couldn't leave his wheel chair, and that he can't use his legs. Why does this happen to me?

Iggy's POV

I was going to take Deirdre home today. The doctor's said she can't get up from the wheelchair because of a fracture in the spine, and that she's pretty lucky for having crashed the car like that. She said there was something weird about the crash, and I'm waiting till she gets home to ask her about it, but I get the feeling that she doesn't get scared by much, and that this is scaring the crap out of her.

When I got there, she was all shaken up, and she kept asking for Wash. " Wash is with the band at the moment, but he'll be coming home soon. Okay?"

" No. I need to see him now."

" Well, you can't… So you said there was something about the crash, something you wanted to tell me?"

She explained all of the things that happened, and the hairs on the back of my neck pricked up. She didn't crash the car! She said she saw some things, they looked organic, but they used this odd voice, repeating "Resistance is useless", and that they had some kind of magnet or whatever, because the car flew away from where it was supposed to go, and crashed… Not good.

Preview of the next chapter:

Fang's POV (Yes, this next part is actually his POV)

Just a little note: Here's where everything gets a little sketchy. We have notes and journals, but that's not as good as memories, and stories from the actual people… so here goes the ending, however long, short, or sketchy it may be.

It was dark outside, but that little detail wasn't noticed by the general population…


	20. The End

**A/N:** This is the end! To answer any questions on the subject, there will be no accompanying piece, i.e. sequel, or one-shot accomp., or even a "deleted scenes" version. THIS IS IT! So thanks to all my wonderful readers. I am very thankful that somebody I don't even know would choose to pick up and read my fanfiction, even if you don't review. So thank you, and sorry for being so demanding in that author's note before. I should be more than thankful for the reviews I receive. MR

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Max Ride. Or anything else except my OCs and my songs, and my plot, definitely my plot! If I that weren't the case… Well, it'd be something like this…

**Summary:** Jeb stole Max and Célie from their parents in Corsica when they were only a few days old. The twins have a brother, named Benoit, and he married and had a child, Delilah, who was born with a genetic disease. The only treatment was from Itex. She got wings from their experiments, and her family had to live in hiding. Meanwhile, Faye's family was dying because of gang fights, and she nearly lost her brother, Charlie. This made her hate her family business, and lead to the creation of her rebellion, the Nightfire. Jack's mother would die a year later, leaving him in foster care, where he found out that he's gay. A few years later, Wash's twin dies, and he runs away from his home. Maximum and her Flock saves the world, and upon returning home, she realizes that the normality she longed for isn't enough, so she abandons the Flock, and leaves for France. Fang, who was already in love with her, does his best to find her, but got lost in Belgium, and returned home. A few months later, 4 musician friends from college go to the French Alps for holiday. It's at about this time that Benoit and his wife, Akira, are killed. The musicians meet Maxine Raine Duchamp, a talented and slightly snarky waitress, who joins them, and after a while, they return to NYC as the band Raine. They produce their platinum album "Catching Falling Stars", and begin to gain standing in the musical world. MR wants to meet back with her flock, but is afraid of their reaction. When she does, the Flock gets pretty extreme, and after leaving, MR's closest family (for the moment) ends up in a car crash. Fang loses his memory after a couple week stint in a coma, and the others bounce back pretty well. Meanwhile, the band is on "vacation". Faye and Jack go up to Canada, where they have to reassemble Faye's old rebellion, and try to take out Cecil the butcher, Faye's grandpa. Nightfire wins, but after killing Jack, and several others in the process. Faye was in love with Jack, but upon expressing this, found out that he was, in fact, gay. This left her in an odd position, not only was she dumped by somebody she loved because they were gay, but he's also dead, because of her. MR and Wash went to Chicago, and rescued Wash's three sisters after accidentally killing Rachel, Wash's mother. Mia was helping her family with her brother Random's cancer. He was secretly getting treatment from Itex, who gave him wings, and upon Mia's discovery of the new appendages, he was taken forcefully to the new School, where Delilah was as well. She had been mauled by a bear in the forest while she tried to track her aunts ( Max and Célie). Her parents had died trying to stop Itex, and so she's alone. They seem to have a connection, and this confuses Random even more. Gazzy and Fang both get new powers, as does Nudge. Célie comes into the picture, looking for her name, since she was always told she had none. She meets with Max and Fang in LA and they (Max and Célie) find out about their pasts. The band gets called to Canada for Jack's funeral, and then they go back to NYC to restart business. They have to go to the Grammys and that places them in Hollywood, CA, where Fang and Célie have relocated. Iggy is with Wash's sisters, and the youngest three Flock members are in the School, awaiting…something.

Fang's POV (Yes, all of this is actually his POV)

Just a little note: Here's where everything gets a little sketchy. We have notes and journals, but that's not as good as memories, and stories from the actual people… so here goes the ending, however long, short, or sketchy it may be.

It was dark outside, but that little detail wasn't noticed by the general population. I was on top of a building, watching as the red carpet was rolled out for some of music's biggest stars. Max was one of them. Her hair had been cut short, and she looked even more like the tough, edgy person that she was.

The bands were filing in, and then the cameras caught sight of Max. It was amazing that everyone seemed to love her, even when she didn't know them, or vice versa. I can only be in awe at her, at everything that makes her whole. They went inside, but I stayed here. Célie and I had gotten some info, but it can wait until this is over. Max's twin was on the computer, looking over at the crowds every few seconds, reminding me so much of our very paranoid leader. The cell phone in my pocket started ringing, and I answered it immediately. " Iggy?"

" Yeah. The kids ran off, and can you guess what else happened? One of Wash's sisters got in a car accident, and it was caused by Flyboys… yup, really."

" Which one? I can tell him…how's she doing?"

" Deirdre is the lucky winner of that title, and she's paraplegic. She can't walk but she's still alive."

" And where are the kids?"

" I have no idea."

Wonderful. Célie must have found something because she came up behind me. "Fang, I found them."

Mia's Notebook

I was sitting next to Max when that girl showed up. Max tensed when she came into view, and I started to worry. I looked over to Matt, and he shrugged, and then went back to trying to talk some sense into Faye. She's still not talking much, especially to Max.

The redhead sat down, and addressed us. " I know you have some family with an odd condition. You know exactly what I'm talking about, and I'm willing to tell them where they are at the moment… that is, if I get what I want. You can have my card. Get in touch…"

She passed a very expensive looking business card across the table, as max growled, " We don't barter with the likes of you, Lissa. Now get out."

" Well, don't you want to find out where Nudge is? How about Gazzy… or Angel?" Lissa said the last more like a statement than a question, and Max stiffened. I knew that she really loved Angel, and the rest of her Flock, so it was no surprise that she looked murderous.

Célie's journal

Max looked perturbed as she and her band mates left the building. She looked up and spotted Fang and me, so I went to the side where the alley way was, and jumped down to the ground. " We know where it is."

" Good. Schematics?"

" Nope."

" Find them."

" There are none."

" How do you know?"

" The building was created by 5 different contractors. There're no unified plans, so there's no way to find any passages, etc. We're fighting blindly if we chose to fight now."

" If we don't fight now, they die. I have my priorities straight, thank you."

"I was just saying…"

" I know."

I stayed silent for a moment, and Max became impatient, " Are we gonna fly there, or not?"

" Yeah, we're goin'." I answered like a lazy child.

We took off towards the School, leaving the Max's friends behind. It was a good three-hour flight, and I was the first to land in the courtyard. There were so many hybrids, and I felt sympathy for all the people that were trapped here. I saw Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel, who called out to me as if I were Max. And then they got really angry when they saw the real Max land beside me. "Max! Which one of you is Max?"

I pointed to my twin. " She's Max. It's all her fault."

Fang snickered (I think), and Max nudged my arm, and then motioned for us to unlock the kids. There were so many cages! I don't think I've seen so many cages in my life! We struggled to get all these kids out, and I hoped so much that we wouldn't…" Hello, Max."

OH SNAP!

Iggy's Notebook

I think Natalie's really taking a liking to me, but I wouldn't really know. Plus, I'm too afraid to ask. But this week has been pretty interesting. D, as she likes to be called, is working well with the wheel chair, and Lauren is doing well in school. Things seem to be working well on the human front… for the moment. I get a call from Wash saying that I need to put this place in lockdown, just in case of Flyboys, and, sure enough, as soon as we get the security system set up, the robotic abominations arrive.

We were able to escape unscathed… the house? Well, let's say Max isn't going to be thrilled about this…"

Delilah Bonaparte's journal

I can't think of what I was going to lose by dying. I don't want to die! I haven't found my aunts yet! I promised Dad! I promised him, and now I'm letting him down… I don't want this. We've been here for at least a couple days, and it's getting pretty cold, but the Flyboys can't feel, so they don't care.

I was asleep when the new cages were brought out… there were three of them. Two girls who looked identical, and one boy, with dark skin and hair they were. I felt good to see them, but they didn't think so. One of them was cursing at the machines, and at the Director, that redheaded witch.

" Now, Maximum, don't you want to see your family? They're all part of your family… or Mia's. Don't you want to see them… before you die?"

The witch spat the words out like venom, and I clued in, finally. Those are my aunts! Those girls at least, I didn't know who the boy is…Wait. Were we just here because it was a trap?

I'll never know. All I know is the one girl, and the boy kept trying to talk to the younger three who were next to Random and me, and then they were wheeled out of the facility… I thought for good.

Gazzy's Book of Secrets

I've been having all the weird voices in my head, and they're driving me crazy! Now I know how Max feels. The one kept thinking about her backpack, and finally I told Nudge to throw it over to her, which she did with some reluctance. Then I heard Lissa's, and then I started to hear others, but I tuned them out. I don't want to hear them.

I fell asleep in the boring darkness, only to be awoken by some Erasers noisily rolling in new people. People I instantly recognized as Max, and Fang… and Max's clone?

I couldn't really hear the conversation, because the girl, the one who keeps thinking about her backpack, kept saying stuff about her aunts... who are you aunts? _Sophie and Célie. Elles sont ma famille. I need to find them… and now, here they are… and I don't get to say anything. I can't say anything. Why does this have to happen to me? Did I do something wrong, world? Is that why you punish me? Wait, the one's name is Maximum… She wouldn't…_

So Max has a sister, whom I'm guessing might be… the clone? Maybe, I don't know. But she also has a niece. I thought she already knew her family! I was faintly hearing somebody shout my name, I can't really tell what they're saying… and when I finally push the voices out, Max and them are being wheeled away. I gripped the bars of my crate, and looked over the grass of the courtyard to where they Flyboys were wheeling the person who had essentially been my mother away from me forever. I was pretty sure I knew what they were doing… It was time for them to be "retired". I don't even want to know what they were having to go through.

There was entire and utter silence, for what seemed like forever. I waited to hear gunshots, or screams, just as confirmation…just so I'd know that my life was officially over. But nothing came. Nobody was coming to save me, but nobody was dying either. So here I am, selfishly waiting for something. It seems so stupid of me, looking back now, but it's what I did. It's not like there was much else to do.

Forever and a day passed, and still, nothing came. It was so silently peaceful that it was almost like the Earth was mocking us, telling us that it could over look us; that it would turn without us. I wanted to spit in its face, should it feel that way, but looking back, I can only say that I'm biased. Finally, some sound came, in the way I would least expect. Bombs went off in front of the building, and I knew they were going around the building… somebody was trying to make it look like the building was exploding, but it wasn't. Why? Why would somebody do this?

(Still in Fang's POV)

I know why. I watched the life leave her eyes as Max saw the bombs go off. We had been wheeled into the forest, and then forced to look at the building as they blew it up, with our friends inside. Célie looked stoic, but she didn't know them like we did. Not like Max did. She looked as lifeless as they must be, her eyes were cold, and there was a different kind of rage that seeped through her pores. I was terrified of what she would do, but I never got the chance. The guards hit us over the head, and left us in a clearing.

Angel's diary

I saw the bombs go off, and I though about what my silence may have cost everything, everybody. I knew what was going on. Why was I making things worse?

_Angel?_ Yes, Max. I'm here. We're still alive; the bombs didn't hit the building at all._ Oh my God! You're alive! Angel, sweetie, you have no idea how scared I was…_Well, I know you were scared enough to admit it, so that's gotta say something._ I'm coming to get you. Tell the others…_ Max? _Yeah?_ There are loads more people here, some are more closely related than I'd like to believe, but…_Say it, Angel._ One of them here was looking for you. And your twin, which I have yet to tell the Flock about…_Why?_

I explained to her, but I will only remember that much of the conversation. I don't want to remember the awe and excitement in her voice as she learned about her niece. I didn't want to remember how sad she sounded about what had happened. I didn't want to remember that I didn't tell her not to come. I never want to remember that, never.

I watched her land again in the courtyard, and I selfishly felt happy that she was here. I was so selfish then. I am still selfish, but I know it now. If that's any consolation… Who am I kidding? It will never be enough. No matter how sorry I am it will never be enough! I can't undo anything. It's all still the same, no matter how sorry I am, or how much I want to scream for them to take me… do what they want to me, I just want to undo the damage I've caused.

Max had smiled at me as she unlocked the cage door, and then she went, and undid the rest. Nudge took out the security system through a control panel in one of the corridors, and we had made it in. Max and… (What's her name?) Delilah went around checking for others, and I kept watch. They had started evacuating, and I watched as Max asked Gazzy for bombs. She looked desperate, and I guess she felt desperate. I never wanted her to have to be that way again… I can't believe I had actually wished for that! I can't believe I was actually so cruel of a person to think that!

Gaz and Nudge helped her set up the bombs in the building, and as we flew away, Gazzy turned back to detonate them…But nothing happened. " The main bomb!" he cried, "It wasn't set. I was so stupid!"

" Shh, Gaz. It's okay. I'll fix it."

Max flew into the distance, and I tried to reach her… _Angel, which bomb is it? _"Gazzy?" which bomb is it?

_It's the one on the very inside of the building. What is she trying to do? IT'S ALREADY SUPPOSED TO DETONATE! SHE WON'T GET OUT OF THERE IN TIME!_

Max, It's the one on the very inside. I gave her the directions, hoping that by some remote chance she could get out. But I also knew that she wouldn't allow the bombs not to detonate. She was going to save the world.

Max made her way to the bomb, and with help from Gazzy, she set it up. I could practically hear the beeping that the shiny black plastic emitted. _Angel?_ Yeah, Max?_ Goodbye._

I shut the book as I laid it back down. God, Max, why? How could you do this to me? Even after what you said, you promised. "YOU PROMISED!" I screamed it out into the wind, even in front of all the people who could hear me… it didn't matter anymore… You promised me, Max.

-Flashback-

We had woken up in the clearing, and I was picking you up. Célie was already up and moving, trying to set up camp, even as downhearted as she was. As we all were. Max was still out of it, though. Her eyes were far away, and I kept trying to talk to her, but I couldn't get a response. Finally, she seemed to get out of it. " They're alive! They're alive, I can't believe it!"

She paused as I looked at her quizzically, but then she continued, as if making up her mind. " I'm going to get them, Fang."

"They're dead, Max."

" No they're not, don't you get it? They're not; they're alive! They're alive! I've got to go after them! The bombs didn't hit the building; it was a hoax! They're still alive!"

Max was going hysterical, and yet Célie still seemed calm. She seemed to know what was going on, and told Max that we're going in the morning, that we'll go together. She seemed to take that, and then we could ease her into the idea that they're dead a little easier.

We had made camp, and it was almost time for the girls to go to sleep when Célie came up to me. " Max is right. She talked to Angel. They're all alive… she's just really excited. You saw her when the bombs exploded!"

The rest seemed to go unsaid, so much like things between me and Max… No, nothing can even come close to things between me and Max. Célie had gone to sleep, and soon it was Max's shift. I was uneasy, I don't know why.

But I stayed up a little extra, anyway, just watching her. Seeing the way she looked as the moonlight made her into the goddess she is. The sun never did her justice. You always saw the unruly hair, or the twigs that would poke out from her head in random spots. Or you'd see the tattered clothes. The sun never made her look as if she was the queen of the world. But in the moonlight… in the moonlight she was beautiful.

She sat there for about 5 minutes, or however long it took until she thought we were asleep, and then she got up to leave. " You think I'm gonna let you leave that easily?" I whispered, gathering myself up from the forest floor.

" I need to go. I need to save them."

" Then we'll go together, and in the daylight."

" The daylight isn't fast enough!" she whisper-yelled at me, " I need to know they're safe."

" And what, kill yourself off cause you tried to do everything yourself? I'm not going to let you."

" Don't I get a say in what I do, Daddy? Or am I not old enough to make my own decisions?"

Max's words cut, deeply, but I wasn't letting her go. " No, you're not going, Max. I'm not losing you like that."

" And why can't you? Too chicken, Fang?" I grabbed her shoulders, and she struggled against my grip. " Let go."

" I'm never chicken, Max. Even you know that."

" Then you should know that I'm going to get them. I will," she growled, but I continued.

" But not now."

" Yes, now, Fang! I'm not leaving them there! Are you insane?"

" They'll be safe until morning, unless the scientists have made nocturnal clones of themselves…"

" This isn't the time for jokes, Fang. Let go now."

I tightened my grip, but she just struggled harder, and finally broke free. She started running towards the edge of the clearing. " Max, wait!"

She paused. " What?"

" Don't go, please!"

"You've never given me a good reason to stay."

" I love you."

The words, even though I had whispered them, seemed to echo against the wood of the trees, which seemed oddly more plentiful than when we had first arrived. Max stood there, stunned, and I felt like an idiot. I turned away and started to walk back to the camp when she turned me to face her and kissed me. " Good," she said, pulling away, and smiling, " Saves me the time of getting the courage to say it first."

She was retreating back to the forest again, and I felt helpless pain stab me. She looked into my eyes, and whispered, " I'll be back for you."

And then she was gone.

-End Flashback-

Did you lie? Or didn't you know you were going to die? You're gone now, though. You didn't come back for me. I looked at the coffin in disgust. All it held was a body. One of billions of bodies that the world has buried over time. What was one more? All I wanted was her. I didn't care if she was the ugliest creature that had ever seen daylight; I needed her. And she isn't here.

I saw all the faces that she made an impact on. I saw Delilah and Célie, who were her only family, and yet they didn't know her. I saw the Flock. They were the closest to me. They were trying to keep the tears at bay, but for Nudge and Angel, it wasn't working. Mia and Faye were crying loudly, their sobs, along with others seemed to echo, making the air waiver as if it, too, was grieving. I saw the people with TV cameras; they were finding it hard not to cry, too. Wash's sisters had shed some tears too, but I think that those were from pity more than sadness. Mia's family was here too, and though they didn't know us at all, they still payed their respects.

I watched as they all comforted each other. Random, or at least I think his name was Random, walked over to Delilah, and was holding her hand, rubbing circles on the back of it, much to the dismay of what seemed to be Random's girlfriend. I looked at Iggy, who was rubbing circles between Nudge's wings, watching as she calmed and her breathing slowed.

I could see Wash, hugging Lauren, whispering that it's okay to cry. And I knew that the only person who had ever, or could ever console me, was in that coffin, and was never coming back.

I turned and ran from the gathering, and into the forest, plants flying on either side as I push them out of the way, and I keep running, and running. I hope selfishly that running will bring me closer to you. It's why I'm running. And I'll keep on running. For you, Max.

Epilogue

A particular finch's POV

I watched through the glass, and into the home of a particularly bird-friendly group of people. None of them really looked like family, but they acted like it. I, however, wasn't watching them, but the television set up in the kitchen, for the tall, strawberry blonde guy, Iggy, to listen to programs. It was the news, and I strained my ears to catch all of it…

"The funeral of singer MR, also known to many as Maximum Ride, was today, and although the funeral was a private one, many still came to pay respects to the former musician, and fighter against the company, Itex. 'She was a good friend. A really good friend,' says Mia Bertani, guitar and vocals for Ride's band, Raine. The band broke up after their second death this year, the first being that of drum player, Jack Nelson. But, the band plans on producing the few songs Ride had left behind…"

I thought as hard as I could, and I kinda remembered the lyrics. Something like:

"Tell me, what's a fairytale?

And is the ending all that great?

Is it that much worse to fail?

And not to leave this up to fate

But the feeling won't fall away—

(I can't begin to stay awake)

Can you hear again?—

( You tell me now, you've told me then)

I'm calling

Can you tell me that after all this time

The way I felt about you wasn't in vain

And can you tell me that all through this you're mine

So all this torture was worth it in the end

Never could live without you—

Never could live without you after all"

I knew, though, that it's only part of the song. Dunno why. I'm just a dumb bird. Which is why I heard Fang come out of the back door and scream into the sky, " I love you, Max! I love you, and I forgive you!"

I flew off, watching as rose bushes seemed to fly from the ground, blooming almost immediately, even though it wasn't nearly time for such a reaction, and feeling this odd mix of sadness, frustration, happiness, and pride. But why should I? I'm just a dumb bird. A dumb bird, running from some unknown need to run. Feels good, kinda. But dumb birds don't feel. And I'm just a dumb bird.

**Another A/N:** those songs have been written, and for anyone interested, I'm posting them on my site, along with the rest of them from the imaginary album. Thanks for coming along for the ride. I hope you think it was a good one. MR

And because this was probably the most confusing part of this story, Fang did gain the power to control plants, but because he's new to it, the power only comes when he's feeling a powerful emotion. Gazzy gained the ability to read minds, and struggles with it, and Nudge can teleport objects/people, but she knew this for a while, and has control over that power.


End file.
